• 


CHES 



■ \ 
'■'''' ] 4.., 




m>-% 



m$M 



t 



'* Jli'il 1 ' ,\^i iir t^-'-. ""■ ■ j 






wfaihn 






Jijp 







life 




• .<!.V 



1 




1 

1 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




000051^370^ 



.LEVINGS 




ftoss M<?&/ 

Book , / ^? . 
Copyright^ 



/?/ / 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT; 



s» 



■S3 



Travel Sketches 



of 



Norway, Sweden, Russia, 

Austria, Belgium and 

Holland 



By 

Grace M. Levings 



With Illustrations by the Author 




BOSTON: RICHARD G. BADGER 
TORONTO: THE COPP CLARK CO., LIMITED 

& ' * 



Copyright, 1916, by Grace M. Levings 



11 1 6 



Made in the United States of America 
The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. 

JUL 3 I9I6 

©CIA433577 
4 /.GO 



TO 

MY HUSBAND 

THE DOCTOR 



CONTENTS 



FAQ ID 



Norway and Sweden ..... 9 

II 

Russia and Austria 60 

III 

Belgium and Holland .... 131 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



The Cathedral of St. Isaacs, Petrograd Frontispiece 



FACING PAGE 

A Street Apparition, Copenhagen . . . 20- 

The Gateway of Castle Rosenborg, Copenhagen 22 

The Church at Hitterdal, Norway . . . 46 ' 

The Church of the Resurrection, Petrograd . 70" 

National Art Gallery, Petrograd ... 76 

The Fountain of Adam, Peterhof Park . . 82 » 

A Drosky Driver, Petrograd . . . .86 

Cathedral of St. Basil, Moscow . . 94 " 

Church of Friday Proskovie, Moscow . . 96 v 

An Archbishop's Funeral, Vienna . . . 106 ^ 

Art Gallery, Vienna . . . . . 110 - 

Maria Theresein Strasse, Innsbruck . . 124 

A Mountain Chalet, Innsbruck . . . 130 

Hotel de Ville (City Hall), Brussels . . 134 

The Bourse, Brussels ..... 136 

A Lace Head Dress, Dordrecht . . . 138 

Private Residences, The Hague . . . 144 

Costumes, Isle of Marken .... 166 



The design on the front cover is the Castle of 

Elsmore, where Shakespeare makes the 

ghost appear to Hamlet. 



TRAVEL SKETCHES 



Norway and Sweden 

WE left New York on the North Ger- 
man Lloyd steamer, Kaiser Wilhelm 
II., for Bremen, Germany, with the intention 
of traveling through Norway, Sweden and 
Russia. Almost all of the passengers alighted 
at Plymouth, and Cherbourg, leaving but few 
of us on board and making the last two days 
of the trip seem very long. 

We went from Bremen to Hamburg by 
train. At Hamburg I suddenly discovered 
that my guide-book was over ten years old, and 
that the hotel I had selected from it as a place 
of sojourn, was no longer on the Hamburg 

9 



Travel Sketches 



map. We therefore walked directly across 
the street from the railway station, and from 
a row of prosperous looking hotels, selected 
one and registered for apartments. 

In Hamburg there is one of the largest 
hospitals in Europe. Doctor was therefore 
off before eight o'clock the next morning to 
visit it. 

Left to my own resources, I took a cab and 
drove quite a distance, until I saw some at- 
tractive shops where I paid the cab man. 
Previously on European trips I had carried 
my own money ; but this time I decided to get 
rid of that responsibility, and had handed all 
of it over to Doctor. After I had paid the 
cab man I had just five dollars left in my 
pocket book. I entered a shop, selected some 
very attractive dinner place cards, and asked 
the price. "Twenty marks (five dollars), " 

10 



Norway and Sweden 



said the shop man. I immediately put down 
my five dollars, took the package and went out 
on the street. It had commenced to rain very 
hard. For the first time I now realized that 
I had spent all my money. I could not hire a 
cab, and did not know the name of my hotel, 
a few miles distant. I was penniless and lost 
in a strange city. After having walked a long 
distance in the rain, I came to a Cook & Son 
office. The manager called a cab and told the 
driver to take me to the side of the railroad 
station which faces the hotel. The hotel por- 
ter paid the cab man. 

I did not look in the box containing my 
place cards until I returned to America. I 
then found that I had about a dozen cards in 
all, but some were broken. I am sure that I 
had selected and paid for about three dozen; 
but perhaps the shop man did not understand 

11 



Travel Sketches 



my German, because in Hamburg they roll 
their r's at the end of the tongue. They said 
to me in the shop, "Sie sprechen schon gut 
Deutsch aber es passt nicht hierher." (You 
speak good German already but it doesn't fit 
here.) Now I am quite convinced that one 
should not give away all his ready money. 

The next morning before leaving the hotel 
I asked the clerk where I could buy a Ger- 
man flag. He replied in a passementerie shop. 

In the Jungfernstieg Strasse (the path of 
the young lady) was a post wagon of bright 
canary yellow, upon which was seated the 
driver in a brilliant red cape and helmet. 

The architecture of the business houses and 
hotels in Hamburg, situated around the Alster 
Lake, is as striking and handsome as any in 
Europe. The residences in most cases are con- 
structed of fine red brick, and the coloring is 

12 



Norway and Sweden 



very artistic. They have white trimmings, fin- 
ished porticoes, and pointed roofs, which pro- 
duce a sort of light, airy, chalet style of archi- 
tecture. There are a great many window 
boxes of flowers, in variegated, brilliant color- 
ings. The general effect of the city is one of 
substantiality, wealth, artistic finish and pros- 
perity. 

The parks are beautiful; the street car sys- 
tem excellent. In every car there is a sign 
reading, "No woman allowed here with hat 
pins which project beyond her hat." 

In the old Jewish quarter there are whole 
streets of medieval houses similar to those of 
Rouen and Caen, in France. 

After spending a day in Hamburg, we took 
the train for Liibeck, en route for Copenha- 
gen. One can go by way of Kiel, where the 
famous yacht regatta is held; but somebody 

13 



Travel Sketches 



said that Liibeck is a rarely interesting town, 
so we quickly decided upon that route. 

Liibeck should not be missed. The ponder- 
ous feudal gate through which one enters is 
quite typical of the town; for we find here 
many antiquated buildings with quaint roofs 
and many streets with picturesque turns. 

In the Rathskeller there are wonderful 
rooms, decorated in designs of the medieval 
period. In two of the churches there are me- 
chanical clocks of intricate mechanism, which 
cause startling effects. When the clock in 
the Dom Kirche (Cathedral) strikes, a skele- 
ton comes out on one side of the dial and an 
angel on the other side. When the clock in 
the Marien Kirche (St. Mary's Church) 
strikes at noon, the figures of seven electors 
march out, bow before the emperor, and with- 
draw into the clock. The pulpit in the Marien 

14 



Norway and Sweden 



Kirche is decorated with large sculptured fig- 
ures in white marble, on a perfectly black back 
ground. Another striking decoration in this 
church consists of rococo gilt frames, surround- 
ing small paintings. The frames are such as 
we are accustomed to see on Florentine minia- 
ture paintings, but are very large, and the pic- 
tures are suspended high on the walls of the 
church. The charm of Liibeck lies in its 
quaint, graceful, artistic antiquity. 

After about three hours spent in Liibeck, 
we took a cab to drive to the boat for Copen- 
hagen. On the way I noticed a large cake 
and coffee shop which was doing a thriving 
business. The sign over the shop read, "Zur 
kleinen Elisabeth" (To the little Elisabeth) . 

The boat was scheduled to leave Liibeck at 
6:30 p. m. We had almost reached the dock, 
which is on the outskirts of the city, when we 

15 



Travel Sketches 



were "held up" by a bridge opening. The 
bridge rests upon six screws, three at each end. 
The screws revolve vertically and the bridge 
slowly ascends, always on a level. One boat 
passed rapidly under the bridge. It was fol- 
lowed by another, a smaller one with a single 
occupant, who propelled his craft by pushing 
hand over hand along the brick foundation. 
A whistle pierced the air, though no other boat 
was in view, either up or down the river; and 
the bridge remained up in the air. 

By this time a long line of carriages was 
waiting, and fearing we would miss the Copen- 
hagen boat I asked a porter: "When can we 
go on?" He replied, "Wenn alles wieder los 
ist." (When everything is loose again.) 
Then around a curve in the river, fully a block 
away, appeared the boat that had whistled up 
in the country somewhere, and for ten minutes 

16 



Norway and Sweden 



it proceeded cautiously down stream towards 
us. After it had passed, the bridge came down 
and a tremendous amount of traffic proceeded 
on its way. 

We went aboard the boat and proceeded 
on our journey. At this season of the year it 
is daylight here until nine o'clock, and twilight 
until ten. Beautiful views are to be seen from 
the boat deck. Tall grass, a man's height, 
grows along the water's edge, and upon the 
banks are many lumber yards and factories. 
Among the products of these factories are 
white brick, cork and chemicals. 

As the boat pulled into the harbor of Co- 
penhagen next morning I noticed that the 
docking facilities are excellent and the har- 
bor itself beautiful. We were now pretty well 
north, and the mornings were quite cold. 

Copenhagen gained some notoriety a few 

IT 



Travel Sketches 



years ago by presenting Dr. Cook a degree 
for finding the North Pole. Having been in 
Copenhagen, it is not surprising to me that 
the Danes took up Dr. Cook, for they are a 
most honest and unsuspecting people. Every 
face on the street is an open book. 

Copenhagen is a center of modern culture, 
and art has been patronized here since the 
seventeenth century. And while I am on the 
subject, I may as well say that the most in- 
teresting thing to me in the city was the 
Thorwaldsen sculptures. Thorwaldsen was 
born here in 1770. When he was twenty- 
seven years old he went to Rome as a fellow 
of the Academy of Copenhagen, and worked 
there for forty years. The work of the 
Italian sculptors is so perfect in its artistic 
finesse that you do not feel a humanizing in- 
fluence. The Thorwaldsen sculpture is per- 

18 



Norway and Sweden 



feet in its technique, but he has also humanly 
idealized it. In the church of the Vor-Frue- 
Kirke (church of our lady) are twelve sculp- 
tured figures of the Apostles by Thorwaldsen, 
much more than life-size. His wonderful 
Christus stands back of the altar. These fig- 
ures are all the decoration there is in this 
church, but the effect is so unusually striking, 
and withal so appropriate, that I wonder more 
churches do not adopt this simple, effective 
style of ornamentation. I felt such elevation 
of soul, such enthusiasm and exhilaration in the 
presence of Thorwaldsen's work, that I do not 
hesitate to say it is worth a trip to Copenhagen 
just to see and know his art. 

We stopped at the Angleterre Hotel, which 
is located on the Kongens-Nytorv. Late one 
afternoon, as I was sitting at the window of 
the reading room, there appeared on the street 

19 



Travel Sketches 



in front of me a huge figure, advertising san- 
dals, walking on its hands, with its feet up in 
the air. I seized my camera and rushed into 
the street, but the figure had turned into a nar- 
row side street and was lost. I thought one 
would see such an apparition but once in a life 
time ; but next morning, as I was driving down 
the Amagertorv the figure appeared in front 
of the cab. I set my camera quickly, jumped 
out, and ran toward it. When I got within 
fifteen feet I waved for it to stop, and took its 
picture. I was surrounded by an interested 
crowd. I moved up to within ten feet and took 
another picture. I now saw that inside the 
figure was a man in an upright position. His 
smiling ej^es were looking at me through the 
two apertures under the word "Sandals." The 
figure continued right down the middle of the 
Amagertorv, threading its way in and out 

20 



Norway and Sweden 



among carriages and pedestrians. 

The National Museum, or glyptothek, con- 
tains a fine collection of sculpture, and is in 
itself an architecturally interesting building. 
The Ny-Carlsberg Glyptothek contains a col- 
lection of sculpture presented to the state by 
Dr. Carl Jacobsen, a wealthy brewer, and his 
wife. They also endowed the museum. The 
front part of the building was erected in 1892. 
It is a model of its kind for sculpture collec- 
tions, being one story in height and somewhat 
Grecian in style. In the center of some of the 
rooms are sunken gardens, containing foun- 
tains surrounded by rare tropical plants. The 
specimens of sculpture in this building are well 
worthy of note, and they are displayed to ex- 
cellent advantage by the most attractive back- 
grounds, frescoes and spacings. Here a mag- 
nificent piece of sculpture is given an entire 

21 



Travel Sketches 



wall and a suitable background in order to 
heighten its effect. The tourist, footsore and 
weary from tramping the other crowded art 
galleries of Europe, will be much gratified with 
the graceful arrangement of art treasures in 
Copenhagen. 

The Rosenborg Palace, in Copenhagen, was 
erected by Christian IV., 1610-25. It was oc- 
cupied by Danish monarchs, who kept their 
jewels, weapons, robes of state and souvenirs 
here, up to the middle of the eighteenth cen- 
tury. As the sixteenth, seventeenth and 
eighteenth centuries were replete with artistic 
furnishings and ornaments, the castle is most 
fascinating. The towers are beautiful; the 
rooms are cozy and homelike. Queen Alexan- 
dra, of England, and Empress Dagmar, of 
Russia, daughters of Christian IX., resided 
here when they were children, and there are 

22 




THE GATEWAY OF CASTLE ROSENBORG, COPENHAGEN" 



Norway and Sweden 



fine portraits of both on the walls. I took a 
picture of the gateway of the castle, and also 
of a company of soldiers who were passing. 

The Rathaus is a very decorative building 
of modern style. The Frederiks-Kirke or 
marble church was begun in 1749, from de- 
signs made by a French architect; but it was 
not finished until 1878, and then with funds 
furnished by a private banker. 

While out walking with Doctor one day I 
saw some highly colored aprons for maids, in 
a shop window, worked in a clever embroidery 
stitch. I insisted on buying them. Doctor 
was equally insistent that I would never have 
use for them. However, I prevailed, and their 
quaintly fantastic colorings have been a great 
pleasure to me ever since. I also wished to 
buy a Danish flag, and asked the clerk where 
one could be had. He replied, "On Kronprin- 

23 



Travel Sketches 



zessin Strasse." I asked, "Where is that 
street?" He accompanied us to the door and 
then with much ceremony said, "You are earn- 
ing on this street. When you can came no 
longer, you are there." This explanation left 
much to be desired; however, we followed the 
street in blind faith for ten minutes, and then 
found ourselves at Kronprinzessin Street, 
which was an off-shoot of the street we were 
on. 

The Royal Copenhagen ware consists of 
bric-a-brac and table pieces. It is so beauti- 
ful and fascinating that it is difficult for one 
to leave the shops with enough money to con- 
tinue his journey. 

At noon we left for Elsinore, our purpose 
being to spend a few hours there and then 
take the ferry across the sound to Helsing- 
borg, Sweden, where we expected to catch a 

24 



Norway and Sweden 



night train for Christiania. 

There are difficulties connected with travel- 
ing in a country where you do not speak the 
language. When we alighted in Elsinore, I 
handed my hand baggage to a porter with 
gold letters on his hat, who seemed very glad 
to take it. As we were going to the boat in 
a few hours, I supposed he would take my 
baggage to the vessel. After passing in our 
railroad tickets at the gate, I had a chance 
to look around, but nowhere was that gilt- 
lettered porter to be seen. It suddenly oc- 
curred to me that instead of a boat porter, it 
was one of the hotel variety to whom I had 
handed my baggage, and that he had taken 
it to some hotel. We described the man to 
every official in the station, from the chef de 
gare down. No one could help us. We then 
took a list of hotels, selected one at haphazard 

25 



Travel Sketches 



and drove there. We guessed right the first 
time, for there in the lobby of a nice little 
Danish hotel, where no English was spoken, 
reposed my baggage. Much to the disappoint- 
ment of the honest porter, I ordered it trans- 
ferred to the boat. 

We then ordered the cabman to drive to 
Hamlet's grave. The route lies through Elsi- 
nore. Does Elsinore sound familiar? It was 
in the castle here that Hamlet, Prince of Den- 
mark, lived and soliloquized, and where the 
ghost appeared to him upon the platform. 

Great oaks of a virgin forest line the road 
leading to Marienlyst. I was plunged at once 
from a realistic, material existence into one of 
romantic musings. In the park grounds of 
Marienlyst a little white chateau nestles close 
against a hill. From either side of the chateau 
narrow winding and ascending paths climb to 

26 



Norway and Sweden 



the summit, which is just above the level of 
the chateau roof. From these paths one may 
catch glimpses of the beautiful blue sound, 
framed between gently waving oaks. A quiet 
melancholy pervades the atmosphere, in the 
spell and presence of history. There is a 
marked sadness in the romantic beauty of the 

scene. 

A mound of stones marks the final resting 
place of Hamlet, and as many sweet-toned 
birds as ever sang in a virgin forest call to 
their mates among the leafy branches above 
his grave. In the distance one can see the 
castle of Elsinore. The place is full of haunt- 
ing witchery, and in imagination one can place 
oneself among the stately courtiers that sur- 
rounded Hamlet and Ophelia in the far-off 
thirteenth century. 

Kronborg Castle is situated upon a square 

27 



Travel Sketches 



plat of ground which juts out into the sound. 
It is surrounded by water on three sides, and 
as the waves lap the shore their music is the 
only sound that penetrates the castle. You 
linger here as if drawn by a Lorelei spell, and 
introspection is the mood of the hour. 

Shakespeare played the finest strings on the 
harp of life; but a poet seeking inspiration 
for his songs would surely revel in Elsinore, 
whose atmosphere brews just the kind of phi- 
losophy of which Hamlet is the exponent. 

A Danish princess is the present occupant 
of the chateau of Marienlyst. They say that 
she also is melancholy. 

Among historical reminiscences the few 
hours at Elsinore passed only too quickly, and 
we took the ferry-boat to cross to Helsing- 
borg, Sweden. I watched Kronborg Castle 
till, gradually fading from sight, its green roof 

28 



Norway and Sweden 



and the blue sea mingled in the rainbow shades 
of the setting sun. 

We arrived at Helsingborg about seven in 
the evening, and experienced some delay in 
getting through the custom house. We found 
an excellent hotel and partook of a good din- 
ner. A short drive about town revealed a 
pretty Gothic church, and street cars painted 
Copenhagen blue. 

It is a night's ride from Helsingborg to 
Christiania. We had ordered our compart- 
ments in advance, while at Copenhagen. At 
the train, when we applied for them, the agent 
said, Oh, yes, he had received our telegram, but 
he was not giving out compartments until he 
knew how many people he had to accommo- 
date. As some passengers did not arrive until 
the train was ready to pull out, and as others 
had already retired, there was much confusion 

29 



Travel Sketches 



in apportioning apartments, and still more in 
obtaining them. 

After the train started those who had re- 
tired were unceremoniously pulled out of their 
compartments. As many foreign tongues as 
Babylon could have produced, were heard in 
excited protestation against this procedure, as 
the passengers, in their dressing gowns, hastily 
gathered up their belongings. Luckily the 
train was not overcrowded, and we were finally 
alio ted a compartment; otherwise we would 
have had to sit up all night, during the long 
ride to Christiania. 

In the morning a breakfast basket was 
handed into the train, containing choice fruit, 
and assorted sandwiches of eggs, anchovies and 
ham, also delicious coffee. At Scarpsburg we 
passed a beautiful waterfall, surrounded by 
mills; but the water was going to waste over 

30 



Norway and Sweden 



the dam, for the mills were silent. There was 
a strike lockout that day that extended all over 
Norway. Many idle men were lounging about 
the station, looking very discontented. 

When we arrived at Christiania it was rain- 
ing in the superlative degree. The expression 
"It rained bucketsful" must have been coined 
in Christiania, for that expresses it exactly. 
It kept on raining all the time we were there. 

The victoria cabs here are so muffled up with 
oilcloth coverings to protect their passengers 
that they lose all semblance of vehicles of trans- 
portation. We got into the cab through a flap 
in the oilcloth covering. There are no win- 
dows. I was looking out through an opening 
to see if the general locality of the hotel was 
favorable, when I saw in a store window some 
brilliant Norwav costumes for sale. I said 
to Doctor, "Stop the cab; I must go shop- 

31 



Travel Sketches 



ping!" "Jamais de la vie!" (Never in your 
life), he answered. 

The hotel porter met the cab with a huge 
umbrella. The hotel was so crowded, however, 
that we were obliged to drive to another. The 
first thing I did after registering was to go out 
in that avalanche of rain and hunt up the store 
displaying the Norway costumes and purchase 
them. The children that I passed on the street 
were wearing rubber mackintoshes reaching to 
their feet, and rubber helmet hats like firemen, 
with long extensions in front and rear to pro- 
tect the face and neck from the torrents of 
rain. 

Christiania, while a dignified and substan- 
tial capital, is not one of the beautiful cities 
of Europe. Its chief claim to attractiveness 
lies in the Karl-Johans-Gade, a parked street 
in the middle of the town, with the principal 

32 



Norway and Sweden 



hotels and business houses lined up on either 
side. The university is at one end of the Karl- 
Johans-Gade. In front of the Opera House, 
nearby, are two atrocious statues of Ibsen and 
B jornson ; at the other end of the Karl- Johans- 
Gade are the Parliament buildings. 

After doing Christiania we decided to see 
something of the surrounding country. We 
went to a tourist office and bought tickets for 
a three days' circular trip, starting from and 
returning to Christiania. The trip was mostly 
by carriage which was, of course, ordered in 
advance by the tourist company. 

The following morning, Sunday, July 23rd, 
we left Christiania for Sandviken, where we 
took a kalesch and drove to Sundvolden, this 
part of the trip occupying four and one-half 
hours. Sometimes the carriage road runs 
along the level of the fjord; then it rises to 

33 



Travel Sketches 



quite a height on the mountain side, while to 
our right there would be a mountain wall of 
rock a thousand feet high, and on our left a 
deep ravine. 

The fjords are little bodies of water set 
among the mountains, and from what I saw 
of them in a limited time I would say they 
are irregularly sized lakes, with inlets from 
the ocean. 

In the country the houses are built of Nor- 
way pine. They are very ornamental in ap- 
pearance and are on the order of Swiss chalets. 

It being Sunday, we passed many peasants 
in the national costume going to church. We 
saw a small chalet, on the peak of the roof of 
which was a white board extending the length 
of the house, and on the board was painted a 
phrase of music, in large black notes. I won- 
dered if this was not the humble abode of some 

34 



Norway and Sweden 



lonesome soul hampered by its environment, 
and yearning for an opportunity to expand in 
the realm of musical art, such as can be found 
only in far-off cities. 

In the valleys the fields are well cultivated 
and appear to be very fertile. Much hay is 
grown, and on every farm one sees row after 
row of upright frames, each two to three hun- 
dred yards long, on which the hay is placed to 
dry. In the front door yard of every home in 
the country town there is a flag pole, from 
which floats the beautiful Norwegian flag — a 
patriotic and praiseworthy custom. 

At 2:30 p. m. we reached Sundvolden. I 
had stopped the carriage so often to take pic- 
tures that I thought we would be late to din- 
ner; but the guests were just entering the din- 
ing-room. I then learned that the dinner hour 
in Norway is 2 :30 p. m., and the hour for the 

35 



Travel Sketches 



evening meal, is at 8:00 p. m. Sundvolden 
owes its place on the map to its hotel and about 
five houses. 

In the afternoon, after a change of horses 
and carriage, we resumed our drive. We met 
many people in stolkjaerres, which are high 
two- wheeled gigs with an extra seat swung on 
behind. This vehicle is as severe on the unin- 
itiated occupant as an Irish jaunting cart. 
There were also many bicyclists on the road. 

At five o'clock we reached Honef os, a place 
of twenty-three hundred inhabitants. There is 
a beautiful waterfall here which I wished to 
photograph. The time was opportune, for at 
this hour the sun is back of the waterfall, which 
is spanned by a high railroad bridge without 
a walk for pedestrians. There are many houses 
alongside the fall, with their slanting back 
yards bordering upon it. Always ascending, 

36 



Norway and Sweden 



I made my way through these backyards, 
climbing over many fences. At one place, 
near the top of the falls I crawled through a 
barbed wire fence and struggled up the last 
steep ascent over sliding rocks to the railroad 
bridge. I then walked half way across the 
bridge, stepping carefully from one tie to an- 
other, while the raging cataract below threw 
spray into my face. I took several pictures, 
and returned to the end of the bridge without 
encountering a train. On my arrival home I 
found that not one of the pictures was 
good. 

As we had two hours before the evening 
meal, we wandered out into the garden, which 
is on the bank of the river Baegna. The river 
here is quite swift. Two men in a canoe were 
making their way across the rapids and fish- 
ing at the same time. It required considerable 

37 



Travel Sketches 



skill to hold their little boat against the current 
while making a catch. 

In looking over the hotel register we dis- 
covered that among our fellow guests were 
travelers from Russia and Norway and suf- 
fragettes from Finland. After each name the 
signer's profession was noted; as "Mr. Brown, 
professor;" "Mr. Green, advokat;" "Mr. 
Black, student;" as the case might be. 

After the evening meal of fish, cold meats 
and a variety of cheeses, we retired to our 
room; through its windows the musical and 
soothing murmur of the tumbling waterfall 
lulled us to sleep. 

We left for Kongsberg by an early train 
next morning, making short stops at many 
towns on the way. At almost every town 
there is a fascinating waterfall. We arrived 
at Kongsberg the second day about 11 a. m. 

38 



Norway and Sweden 



Kongsberg has about fifty-six hundred inhab- 
itants and is situated on both banks of the 
Laugen. 

In the neighborhood of Kongsberg are two 
silver mines, discovered during the reign of 
Christian the IV., in the sixteenth century. 
The mines are now almost worked out, but 
the inhabitants of Kongsberg attach as much 
significance to them as if they were the most 
important thing in Norway, and specimens of 
the ore are kept for sale in the shops. 

The houses in Kongsberg are timber-built. 
There is a church erected in the eighteenth 
century, which is said to be the most famous 
church in Norway. The outside, however, is 
most unattractive. 

For dinner we went to the Grand Hotel. 
The principal dish at dinner in Norway is fish, 
which is caught every day from the mountain 

39 



Travel Sketches 



streams and lakes with which this country 
abounds. There seems to be a different variety 
of fish at every hotel, and what particularly 
impressed me is the delicious manner in which 
it is prepared. I did not notice a preponder- 
ance of butter or cracker crumbs. I did not 
succeed in getting any of their recipes, but I 
do know that Norway fish prepared by Nor- 
way cooks is one of the famous dishes of the 
world. 

The quaint timber-built country hotels in 
Norway compare favorably with those in 
France. The sleeping rooms are cool, quiet, 
comfortable and scrupulously clean. 

After dinner our carriage, which had been 
ordered in advance, was called out for the 
loading of the baggage. A stolkjaerre also 
stood in the court yard, apparently ready for 
a long drive. It is surprising how much lug- 

40 



Norway and Sweden 



gage these small vehicles are capable of car- 
rying. 

Our carriage, or kalesch, had two seats, fac- 
ing each other. They were upholstered in 
brilliant red plush, with carriage trimmings in 
the same color. In case of rain the victoria 
top is pulled up. The heavy baggage was 
strapped on behind, and the smaller pieces put 
inside or up with the driver. 

The Norway horses are perfectly fascinat- 
ing. They are small, muscular and hardy, on 
the pony style. Their manes are very long 
and pretty and their eyes are bright and intel- 
ligent. Considering its small size, it is re- 
markable how much work one of these horses 
can do. We had a very good team that after- 
noon. They pulled the heavy carriage up the 
hills and mountain sides without apparent fa- 
tigue, and we reached Notodden at seven in 

41 



Travel Sketches 



the evening. The driver was very proud of 
his horses, and when I took a picture of them 
he requested me to send him one. It is need- 
less to state that this request was complied 
with as soon as I reached home. The next 
morning the driver started back over the moun- 
tains, without passengers, having a quantity 
of hay strapped behind the kalesch for the use 
of the horses during the journey. 

I noticed that our room in the hotel at 
Notodden was heated and lighted by electric- 
ity. I asked the maid for a key to the room. 
She reported that the key could not be found, 
and that it had been a long time since any 
one had asked for a key to the room. I asked 
her to give me the name of some street and 
shop where I could purchase photographs of 
the town. "Oh," she replied, "our streets have 



no names." 



42 



Norway and Sweden 



At Notodden there is a waterfall sixty-five 
feet high, called the T infos, the power of which 
is used to operate several manufacturing plants 
situated at its base. Several miles above the 
Tinfos are two other falls, called Lienfos and 
Svaelgfos. A canal, which has been in the 
course of construction for several years, ex- 
tends from Svaelgfos to Notodden. The wa- 
ter is led through three conduits, making an 
abrupt descent into the factories. Each con- 
duit produces fifteen thousand horse power, 
which is used to generate electricity and for 
manufacturing purposes. The company owns 
and operates a pulp mill and lumber mill; 
makes pig-iron; manufactures saltpetre from 
the nitrogen of the air; and supplies the city 
with light and heat, all by means of electricity. 

At the office of the factory we met the engi- 
neer who discovered and patented the process 

43 



Travel Sketches 



of making pig-iron by electricity. I asked 
him how much it cost to build the canal. He 
said it could be sold for seven million kronen. 
I then asked who owns the water power in 
Norway. "Anyone who owns the contingent 
property/' he replied. "Where did they get 
the money to build the canal?" I inquired. 
"They made it in the factories at Tinfos," he 
answered. "How long have the factories been 
running?" I asked. "About five years," he 
replied. Seven million kronen represents ap- 
proximately two million dollars, accumulated 
in five years, by men still in the prime of life. 
You can figure for yourself the business op- 
portunities afforded by Norway water power. 
On the engineer's desk was a photograph of 
the president of the company with his family, 
a cleancut, middle-aged Englishman, with a 
handsome wife and three healthy, fine looking 

44 



Norway and Sweden 



children. I afterward saw the family out driv- 
ing in style. 

The next morning we took a stolkjaerre for 
a twelve-mile ride to the church at Hitterdal. 
The road lies along the Hitterdals vand (lake) , 
which was glimmering in the bright morning 
sun. We had to cling tight to the stolkjaerre, 
and when I jumped off at one time to photo- 
graph some girls in bright costumes on their 
way to school, I feared the vehicle would upset. 

The timber-built church at Hitterdal dates 
from the twelfth century and possesses uncom- 
mon interest. It has many pointed steeples, as- 
sembled in a manner of perfect symmetry that 
could only be called artistic. High up are 
six windows, that do not seem to be larger 
than port holes. The interior of the church 
is therefore quite dark, like churches are sup- 
posed to have been, they told us, in Solomon's 

45 



Travel Sketches 



time. Around the church runs a low arcade, 
like a broad eave, probably for the protection 
of the congregation when it rains. During 
service the men sit on one side and the women 
on the other. In front of one section of pews 
there is a blackboard, on which people who 
have prayed write their names. In front of 
another section is another blackboard, on which 
those write their names who have not prayed. 
The campanile, built of wood and brown with 
age, is very interesting. We were told that it 
is second in renown to the famous campanile 
of St. Marks, Venice. After securing photo- 
graphs, we started on the return journey to 
the hotel, having acquired prodigious appetites 
by spending the entire forenoon in the fresh 
air, among the pines and mountains. In the 
dining room was a long table, after the old 
fashioned continental style. Opposite us sat 

46 




r — ._ < % — "* 



>~; 



:.#•+■<* .-^ 



THE CHURCH AT HITTERDAL, NORWAY 



Norway and Sweden 



a comfortable looking individual with an aqui- 
line nose. He wore a seal ring and had a semi- 
pious demeanor. His conversation was in 
English and was characterized by cheerfulness 
and good humor. I mentally classified him 
as a bishop. 

The table was set with edibles, but there was 
no one in attendance to pass them. The 
"Bishop" conversed fluently. He would begin 
a sentence, then get up from his seat, and with 
a few long strides reach the other end of the 
table, where, with a free sweep of his arm, as 
if snatching flies, he would encompass a couple 
of Vienna rolls in his palm, and return to his 
seat before he had reached the end of his mag- 
nificent flow of Oxfordian diction. Again he 
would commence an extemporaneous discourse 
that would have done credit to Mark Antony, 
and start on an exploring tour in search of 

47 



Travel Sketches 



the coffee urn at the opposite end of the table. 
Then standing easily, with the urn poised high 
in the air, he would gracefully pour the coffee, 
plaintively remarking, "It is so humiliating 
to ask for things and not be understood, you 
know." 

He also had been to visit the church at Hit- 
terdal in a stolkjaerre. "When I first climbed 
up in the vehicle," he said, "I thought grim 
death stalked ahead of me; but after a while 
I rather liked it, you know. The problem, 
however, is how to get out of it, because if you 
lean too heavily to one side you turn over the 
whole show, you know." 

I asked him, "What is the population of 
Norway?" He answered, "About four and 
one-half millions of people, of which two mil- 
lions are in the United States." He said he 
saw a funeral that morning. "It is not a very 

48 



Norway and Sweden 



lively tale, you know," he continued: "they 
were all at the grave and singing the St. 
Mathew music from Bach. The minister and 
his wife were very plump, you know. But 
such discords I never heard in my life. I said 
to myself, 'If that is the way you sing, you 
poor things, no wonder you are getting 
buried.' " 

Then the long table was filled and conver- 
sation became more general. There were thirty 
people at the table and I heard Norwegian, 
Russian, German and French spoken, but only 
Doctor, the "Bishop" and I spoke English. 

At 6:15 that evening we took the steamer 
Henrik Ibsen for Skien. The boat proceeds 
along the picturesque Hitterdals Vand with 
cliffs and hills rising from each shore. The 
twilight deepens by slow degrees, and when we 
reached the wharf at Skien at ten o'clock it 

49 



Travel Sketches 



was full evening. The steamer on this course 
goes through several locks. 

Skien is the birthplace of Henrik Ibsen, the 
dramatist. There is a large theater here. The 
principal industry is the manufacture of wood 
pulp and paper. One mill has nine engines, 
and makes more paper than all Norway could 
use. This paper is shipped to China, Africa, 
the United States and other parts of the 
world. Men laborers in Skien get three and 
one-half to six kronen a day and work ten 
hours. 

Early the next morning we took the train 
for the return trip to Christiania. The train 
proceeds along the Drammen and Christiania 
Fjords and seems interminably slow; but the 
scenery from the car window is invariably 
beautiful. Through trains travel only at night. 
It was interesting to watch the passengers. 

50 



Norway and Sweden 



When a Norwegian lady enters a train, she 
first locates her bundles, then takes an air pil- 
low from a bag and blows it up, places it un- 
der her head, and then settles down to read. 

In the small towns the men raise their hats 
to each other in passing. 

We arrived in Christiania in the afternoon, 
and left the following morning at eight for 
Stockholm, Sweden, arriving there about ten 
o'clock that evening. On this trip the train 
is never out of sight of water; there are placid 
ponds, lakes, canals, and creeks, but always 
water. Somebody has said that when God 
made water and afterwards created land he 
forgot Sweden. 

On arriving at Stockholm we went to the 
Grand Hotel. This hostelry at that time was 
everything its name implied. From the front 
windows we looked out upon the lake and the 

51 



Travel Sketches 



illuminated buildings, which presented a pic- 
ture quite similar to that produced by the won- 
derful illuminations at Chicago's World's Fair 
Exposition. Our room was quite magnificent; 
the finest brocaded satin, the best linen and 
beautiful lace were employed in its furnishings. 
A maid in trig attire answered the bell with 
a courtesy. 

As was our custom when visiting an impor- 
tant city, we first took a general drive around 
Stockholm in order to locate points of special 
interest. The city is built on islands; there 
are twelve hundred and sixty of them in the 
Malar Lake. Much of the transportation is 
by ferry-boats. We did not understand the 
Swedish language, but it did not interfere with 
our pleasure. We would board one of the lit- 
tle ferries, not knowing its destination, get off 
when it reached a dock, and board a second 

52 



Norway and Sweden 



ferry boat which would land at a third dock. 
We clattered on and off the boats, shouting 
with laughter, because we had not the slight- 
est idea where our little journey would termi- 
nate. The nattily costumed boat officials 
seemed aware of our venture, but they re- 
frained from the slightest smile. On the street 
cars we would sav in one breath, "Combien?" 
"Wie viel?" and "How much?" If none of 
these languages proved effective, we would 
hold out a few small coins, from which the 
conductor would generally select ten ore. 

In the Art Gallery there are several fine 
Rembrandts; but pictures by Swedish paint- 
ers are excellent and they constitute a very 
fine collection. 

In the Northern Museum there is assembled 
a collection of furniture and costumes belong- 
ing to different phases of Swedish life that 

53 



Travel Sketches 



does great credit to its founder, Dr. Hazelius. 
On the first floor there is a magnificent sweep 
of rooms with booths arranged along the Avail, 
fitted up as living rooms with peasant furni- 
ture, pottery, bric-a-brac and various utensils, 
all showing the customs of the period. It is ex- 
tremely interesting to observe how the peas- 
ants, with a few bright, strong colors, dec- 
orated their walls and their furniture, produc- 
ing very striking effects. 

The display on the second floor illustrates 
the customs and surroundings of a thriftier 
class of people. Here the furniture is mahog- 
any and the costumes more simple. On the 
third floor are the royal rooms. 

The whole collection is a liberal education. 
It contains a vast amount of material which 
the average tourist would otherwise have to 
travel many miles and spend hours of research 

54 



Norway and Sweden 



in order to discover. Were it not for Dr. 
Hazelius' work, these things would soon pass 
out of the memory of man, as Sweden, along 
with the rest of Europe, is being rapidly mod- 
ernized. The collection is housed in a building 
with many gables in imitation of sixteenth 
century architecture. The roof reminded me 
of the Chateau Chambord, the Cathedral of 
Caen, in France, and Castle Rosenborg in 
Copenhagen. 

In the evening we went to visit Skansen, a 
park of seventy acres, containing rocky hills, 
lakes, pastures and fields; also an Eskimo vil- 
lage, with huts, dog sleds and Eskimo dogs. 
There is also a good collection of moose, elks, 
reindeer and other objects of interest. About 
eight o'clock in the evening, at the sound of a 
bugle, picturesque maidens, dressed in their 
national costumes, assemble from the various 

55 



Travel Sketches 



chalets in the park and dance the folk dances 
upon a raised platform in the center of a 
beautiful green sward, to the music of three 
musicians. 

Never will I forget those musicians. They 
were supposed to represent the three musi- 
cians in a famous painting returning home 
on foot in the early morning from a country 
dance. One wore a long white flannel coat, 
white stockings, and pumps, and played an 
instrument shaped like a whale. Another wore 
a red and blue knitted cap with a long tassel. 

The music commenced; the procession 
started, and the merry troupe in brilliant neck 
shawls, dainty caps, tidy aprons and pretty 
dancing shoes, fluttered along to the platform. 
Then these youthful spirits, arrayed in this 
revel of color, began the dance. After watch- 
ing them for some time, I arrived at the con- 

56 



Norway and Sweden 



elusion that all of the cotillion figures of the 
present day are derived from the folk dances. 
These are far more interesting than the waltz 
and two-step, though not so personal. 

One-half the dancers withdrew from the oth- 
ers, thus forming two equal divisions. On one 
side the couples joined hands and formed a 
London bridge figure; then the first couple 
took the lead, and the others followed, all drop- 
ping their hands, dancing under the bridge 
and forming a new bridge at the other end. 
While this figure was repeated several times, 
the other division of dancers was executing a 
beautiful wheel figure. 

Many beautiful peasant costumes may be 
seen on the streets and in the parks. Stock- 
holm is the only European city of importance 
where the custom of wearing them is encour- 
aged. 

57 



Travel Sketches 



Among the magnificent public buildings in 
Stockholm should be mentioned the House of 
Parliament, the Royal Theater, the Opera 
House, and the Central Museum of Biology. 
There are beautiful parks, gardens and monu- 
ments. With its style, grace, regularity and 
cleanliness Stockholm is one of the most rest- 
ful and agreeable of the European capitals. 
Both the city and the people make an excel- 
lent impression on the foreigner. 

On extremely hot days, when the thermom- 
eter registers ninety or one hundred in the 
heart of the city, a mild and pleasant temper- 
ature may be found in the parks, within twelve 
minutes' walk. In these parks the landscape 
gardening is developed to perfection, and they 
are decorated with unique bronze fountains. 
The trees are old spreading oaks and elms, and 
there are a great variety of beautiful plants. 

58 



Travel Sketches 



I saw ribbon grass, which with us is used for 
decorative centers of vases, growing as high 
as a tree, and a fine variety of fern equally 
high. 

In Stockholm the cost of living is very high 
and they import more than they export. 



59 



II 

Russia and Austria 

WHILE in Stockholm, we decided one 
morning to start for Russia that day. 
We went to the boat office, and were told a 
vessel would leave that evening, but that all 
accommodations were sold out. However, the 
clerk added, perhaps some official of the boat 
would give up his room for sufficient compen- 
sation. We went to the dock where the boat 
lay, and a man with a gilt lettered cap was 
brought forward by an official. This man said 
he was the chief engineer, and would give up 
his room for a consideration. We requested 
to see the room, and leading the way he began 
to descend from one deck to another. After 
going down three decks we found ourselves 

60 



Russia and Austria 



in the machinery room. He opened the door 
of a little inside room opposite the engine. The 
ceiling was very low and the berth a sort of 
shelf. We thanked the engineer but politely 
declined the accommodation. The boat was 
to leave at eight in the evening, and about fif- 
teen minutes before starting time some one re- 
leased a first-class room, which we secured. 

The sailors were just about to pull in the 
gang plank when an automobile dashed up on 
the wharf. Its two passengers, together with 
a basket trunk, a carryall, four telescopes, a 
satchel, a basket of fruit, an armful of roses 
and four other parcels were taken aboard, and 
we were off for Russia. 

The boat proceeded northward along the 
shore of the Malar Lake. For miles and miles 
the beautiful summer homes of the people of 
Stockholm dot the shore, which is indented by 

61 i 



Travel Sketches 



rocky coves, and softened with a variety of 
natural scenery and verdure. 

While on the map the trip from Stockholm 
looks like a long one in an open sea, it is really 
not so; for nearly all the way the boat travels 
in a protected sea sheltered by numerous is- 
lands. It is one of the most delightful cruises 
in the world. The sea is never rough in July 
and August, and I think the Captain said that 
at certain seasons of the year there are only 
four hours of darkness at night. 

About three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, 
after three days and two nights of sailing, we 
approached Helsingfors, Finland. The gold- 
en domes of a church situated upon a high 
elevation shone out for miles over the sound. 
We thought we were coming into Russia. 
Finding that we would have several hours on 
land, Doctor went to the captain to have 

62 



Russia and Austria 



some travellers' cheques changed into Finnish 
money. But the Captain said, "Oh, that is all 
right, I will give you all the money you want 
to spend and we will settle when we reach 
Petrograd." Thereupon he opened a drawer 
and invited Doctor to take what money he 
needed, not even making a memorandum of it. 

A drive of several hours around Helsing- 
fors proved very interesting. A large part of 
the population, in their Sunday clothes, were 
on the streets and in the parks. If I may be 
allowed the observation, judging from the ap- 
pearance of the people there is no upper or 
lower class. The grade seemed to be rather 
invariable, and all belong to the middle class. 

While the architecture of the churches in 
Helsingfors is of the brilliant Russian style 
and coloring, that of the other public buildings 
is more forcible than artistic. 

63 



Travel Sketches 



In Finland the suffrage movement origi- 
nated very early, and I understand that a 
woman will drop anything she is doing to go 
campaigning and make stump speeches. How- 
ever, I did not see any men promenading in 
the parks with frock coats minus buttons, 
though the ladies I saw were distinguished by 
force rather than by beauty and grace. 

Again we took the boat, and by noon the 
next day we were nearing Petrograd. The 
approach is magnificent. All along the banks 
of the canal are large boats heavily loaded 
with lumber, grain and other cargoes repre- 
senting great industry and immense shipping. 
But above all the marts of trade shine out the 
golden domes of Petrograd, sparkling in the 
noon day sun. 

Just before our boat docked it was boarded 
by several sharp looking inspectors in pre- 

64 



Russia and Austria 



tentious official costumes, for the purpose of 
examining passports. They were tall, had 
hooked noses, and wore long gray military 
overcoats. They seated themselves at a table 
at one end of the dining room, and the passen- 
gers were lined up and instructed to pass the 
table and have their passports inspected. So 
precise was the scrutiny administered to each 
document that, although Doctor was third in 
line, it was an hour before we got off the boat. 
Meanwhile I walked up and down the deck 
and viewed the city. I noticed that the streets 
in this district were dirty like our ghettoes. 
The houses are tall and elongated, and the 
windows are slant-eyed. 

After going through the custom house we 
looked about for a cab. The cab drivers were 
clamoring, gesticulating and fighting. It was 
all the same thing to us, for we did not under- 

65 



Travel Sketches 



stand a word of Russian. We loaded our 
things on a cab and gave the driver the name 
of a hotel. He nodded, and then promptly 
drove to another hotel. It looked all right, so 
we simply put up there. As soon as we had 
selected a room our passport was immediately 
demanded and sent to the chief of police. The 
clerk said it would be returned to us when we 
were leaving. We now felt as if we were un- 
der the constant surveillance of the police. On 
being conducted to our room, we found it was 
being cleaned by a house man wearing boots 
reaching' to the knees and a red cotton Rus- 
sian blouse. 

Among our baggage was a steamer trunk, 
upon the top of which was painted, in large 
letters, my maiden name. I ought to have 
purchased a new one before starting; but a 
trunk you know, is such a friend; it shelters 

66 



Russia and Austria 



your souvenirs and protects your valuables; it 
withstands the storms and tempests of travel 
while sustaining many a hard knock. When 
you open it all the corners are familiar ones, 
and you pack your things without any loss of 
nerve energy or waste of time in solving new 
inventions. Well, when we left our room and 
started down stairs the halls seemed quiet. But 
suddenly and unexpectedly a red-bloused man 
would appear in a doorway or at the end of a 
passage, and eye us suspiciously. When we 
reached the office the clerk halted us and said 
to me, "What is your name?" I told him. 
"That is not the name on your trunk," he re- 
plied. "What is your first name?" I gave it. 
"Very well," he said. "As that corresponds 
to your passport I suppose it is all right." 

Before leaving America I had visited the 
Russian Consul and asked him what liberties 

67 



Travel Sketches 



I would have in Russia to take photographs. 
He replied that he was unable to give definite 
information on that subject, as the police reg- 
ulations were constantly changing, and I 
would better visit the American Consul in Pet- 
rograd on my arrival. So we called a cab and 
told the man to drive us to the American Con- 
sulate. 

On entering the Consulate the atmosphere 
changed at once, becoming breezy and Ameri- 
can. The Consul wrote the customary letter 
to the chief of police, requesting that I be al- 
lowed to take photographs in Petrograd. 
There are many restrictions in Russia in re- 
gard to photography. For instance, photo- 
graphs cannot be taken of marching soldiers, 
or of any of the fortifications. Severe penal- 
ties are imposed for breaking the rules. 

A traveler in Petrograd naturally visits St. 

68 



Russia and Austria 



Isaac's Cathedral first, because it is the most 
important church there. It is built in the form 
of a Greek cross, and is surmounted by a dome 
more beautiful than that on the capitol at 
Washington, or the one that crowns des In- 
valides in Paris. On entering the church one 
gets the impression that this great building is 
lined with solid gold. Velvet toned pillars of 
malachite and lapis lazuli decorate the interior, 
and immense solitaire jewels shine out of the 
crowns of the ikons. The ikon, which is made 
to represent a saint, is the principal decoration 
in Russian churches. Life-sized ikons line the 
walls of St. Isaac's Cathedral. The head 
drapery and garments are made of gilded 
silver. 

More individually Russian is the Church of 
the Resurrection, erected on the spot where 
Alexander II. was assassinated. The exact 

69 



Travel Sketches 



location of the assassination is covered by a 
handsome tomb, inside the church. It is also 
called the Church of the Expiation, and is sur- 
mounted by many Muscovite domes. Upon 
the interior walls are pictures done in Russian 
mosaics, representing the life of Christ. One 
of the most striking portrays the scene in 
which Christ is taken from the cross. There 
are only three figures in this picture. In the 
background the mosaics take the red, rose and 
pale gold tints of the setting sun. In the fore- 
ground the golden halo around the head of the 
reclining Christus shines dimly. In two other 
holy pictures the drapery is made of solid seed- 
pearls. The screen in front of the altar is sur- 
mounted by three crosses two feet high, made 
of large solitaire topazes that gleam from afar. 
These stones are called Russian diamonds. The 
golden domes on the churches are regilded in 

70 



Russia and Austria 



three-ply gold leaf once a year, at enormous 
expense. 

The Hermitage, which was originally a pal- 
ace built by Catherine II. as a retreat from the 
cares of state, is now an art gallery. There 
are forty rooms devoted to paintings. In the 
collection are many paintings of the old mas- 
ters — Murillo, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Ru- 
bens and other famous artists. These pic- 
tures were assembled by Catherine II., and her 
successors, with that magnificent disregard of 
expenditure which characterizes the Russian 
government when it sets out to obtain some- 
thing really fine. This collection is well ar- 
ranged, and has no superior in the world. 

One room in the Hermitage is reserved for 
the jewels and personal effects of royalty when 
not in use. Eveiy party entering the room 
must be accompanied by a guide, and the num- 

71 



Travel Sketches 



ber of persons allowed in the room at one time 
is limited. Among other jewels kept here is 
a replica of the coronation crown; and a num- 
ber of royal watch fobs. These fobs are ap- 
proximately eight inches long and two inches 
wide. In the center, extending lengthwise, 
are three rubies, large as lima beans, and the 
intermediate spaces and ground work of the 
fobs are set solidly with diamonds. Standing 
upright on the four corners of a small gold 
clock are bouquets of flowers, worked in jewels. 
There are ornaments for the hair made in bou- 
quets of flowers, representing daisies, gerani- 
ums and foliage. The white leaves of the 
daisy are set solidly in diamonds, and the cen- 
ter of the flower is cut gold. The geraniums 
are made of rubies, the green leaves of em- 
eralds. Each flower is strung on a wire, and 
the wires are gathered together to make a bou- 

72 



Russia and Austria 



quet. In glass show cases are prayer-book 
covers and jewel boxes made of solid gold and 
ornamented with large solitaire jewels. There 
is a set of harness, and saddle covers, inlaid 
with gold and brilliantly jeweled; and bridles 
with gold rosettes set with solitaire diamonds. 
The Winter Palace of the Czar is not far 
from the Hermitage Gallery, and is a very im- 
portant building. It is painted a homely brick 
red, a very popular color in Petrograd, and 
used indiscriminately. The interior of the pal- 
ace is most interesting, because the rulers have 
impressed upon its decoration and furnishing 
their forceful personalities and tastes, and be- 
cause that expression has taken the form of ele- 
gant, artistic simplicity. In the white marble 
throne room is a colonnade of white Italian 
marble pillars. In the ball room are crystal 
chandeliers containing twenty thousand can- 

73 



Travel Sketches 



dies, which are lighted by means of an inflam- 
mable cord running from wick to wick. After 
each lighting a new cord has to be adjusted. 

While passing through the ball room I saw 
six Russian servant boys polishing the floor. 
They stood in line and rather close together. 
Woolen pads or mats were fastened to the 
soles of their shoes. Each boy at the same mo- 
ment pushed his right foot forward and then 
drew it back to line again, and thus the im- 
mense space of that ballroom floor was pol- 
ished by that human machine. I never saw 
such tired looking servants. Their rooms are 
not far from the ballroom, and are near the 
private apartments. They are small and dark, 
and twenty-five dollars would cover the cost 
of all the furniture in them. That is always 
the other side of the picture in Russia. 

In a rectangular picture gallery hang paint- 

•74 



Russia and Austria 



ings of many Russian war heroes. At one end 
of this gallery there is a magnificent painting 
of Alexander I. seated upon a prancing white 
charger. 

The apartments of Alexander II. are un- 
disturbed. The sixty copecks he had in his 
pockets when he was killed lie upon his library 
table with his pocket-knife and a half smoked 
cigarette. His hair brush, yellow with age and 
costing not more than a dollar, is there. Upon 
the table is a small Christmas tree, about ten 
inches high, a gift from the Czarina. It is 
made of silver, and is hung with a few medal- 
lion portraits of the members of the Czar's 
family. The family photographs standing 
upon the book case might be the old fashioned 
photos of any family. The state bed chambers 
are next to the library, but they were not occu- 
pied by the Czar. He slept on a small camp 

75 



Travel Sketches 



cot in his library, because he was there more 
inaccessible to bombs. The cot was placed in 
a remote corner of the room, behind two large 
marble pillars, which completely concealed it. 

The winter garden, under a glass roof, is 
filled with a rare collection of tropical plants 
and is most interesting. 

One side of the palace fronts a street that 
lies along the river Neva. It was formerly the 
custom for the Czar to hold a public reception 
on New Year's Day, and at these functions 
twenty thousand people were sometimes re- 
ceived. On one of these occasions, however, a 
bomb was thrown into the midst of the crowd 
on the staircase about to enter the palace, kill- 
ing nearly one hundred people. After that the 
receptions were discontinued and the Czar sel- 
dom occupies the Winter Palace. 

The National Art Gallery is architecturally 

76 



Russia and Austria 



interesting. It is situated in a park where 
the landscape gardening relieves the severity 
of the building itself. The collection assem- 
bled here represents the art of all countries, 
but the pictures that most impressed me were 
those of the Russian artists. They have great 
scope; and when I recall them I think of the 
tall Russian people, their great high buildings, 
the mighty Russian Empire, the stretch of their 
agricultural fields, the vast spaces of Siberia, 
the minor strains of the Tsehaikovsky music, 
the lament of their folk songs. Their art has 
a breadth and caliber proportionate to all these 
things. There are here some of the sea scenes 
which were on exhibition at the Chicago 
World's Fair in 1893, and a collection of 
Munkacsy pictures, some of which have been 
exhibited in America. 

On the opposite side of the Neva from the 

77 



Travel Sketches 



Winter Palace is the Fortress Church, where, 
in tombs characterized by refined simplicity, 
are buried Catherine the Great, Peter the 
Great, Alexander I., Alexander II., and many 
others of the royal family. The church is hung 
with silver wreaths and has an atmosphere of 
elegant restfulness. 

The affection of the Russian people for the 
memory of Peter the Great impresses the tour- 
ist. When the guides or the people speak of 
him they never say "Czar Peter" or "Peter the 
Great"; they simply say "Peter." 

Petrograd was founded by Peter in 1712. 
It was built on a low waste area, and enriched 
with many handsome structures. Succeeding 
rulers, especially Catherine the Great, con- 
tinued his policy of augmenting the impor- 
tance of the city. Peter's first house in Petro- 
grad stands not far from the Fortress Church 

78 



Russia and Austria 



of Peter and Paul. It is constructed of tim- 
bers, has four rooms, and was built in two 
weeks by his ministers, during his absence from 
the city. The house is now enclosed by walls. 
In the front room, which was the library, are 
still to be seen the tables and chairs that Peter 
used. The kitchen was built separately, a lit- 
tle distance from the house. Why the Czarina 
should have done her own cooking is not quite 
clear; but the story goes that she went forth 
through the snow to the kitchen in the winter 
to prepare the meals, and back again to the 
house to serve them. 

At a later date Peter lived in a charming 
little one-story palace at Peterhof. In the 
kitchen of this palace there is some old blue 
tiling and other evidences of his stay in Hol- 
land, where he went to learn ship building. 

The great scope of Peter's accomplishments 

79 



Travel Sketches 



and the simple, humble manner in which he 
lived form a striking contrast. 

Peterhof is the summer palace of the Czars. 
It is distant from Petrograd, I should judge, 
about eighteen miles, or one hour's ride. 

On alighting at the station our guide hired 
a carriage to take us to the palace. We drove 
through the park, along lagoons whose banks 
are dotted with small fairy palaces. The 
large palace, the summer residence of the 
Czar, is near the seashore. Beautiful views 
of the sea may be had from one side, while 
from the opposite side may be seen a terrace, 
upon which are magnificent tiers of fountains. 
I counted eighty-one jets of water from these 
fountains. 

The interior of the palace represents the fin- 
ished, elegant simplicity that is characteristic 
of French decoration. The rooms are uphol- 

80 



Russia and Austria 



stered and decorated with the most delicate 
satins. The reception room is in white bro- 
cade; the salon in delicate blue satin, and the 
dining room in red. The merchant's room is 
decorated in gorgeous, glittering, heavy gold, 
and has a private entrance. It was used by 
Catherine the Great to receive her merchant 
friends who brought rich gifts to engage her 
favor. This glitter of gold probably was pleas- 
ing to the merchants, and as Catherine had a 
fondness for valuable gifts, she arranged the 
decorations to suit the merchants. The vain 
pompousness of this room is most amusing in 
contrast to the elegant simplicity of the other 
apartments. 

In this palace there is a remarkable art col- 
lection, founded by Catherine the Great, com- 
posed of portraits of Russian peasant girls in 
national costumes. Outside of this gallery 

81 



Travel Sketches 



there are very few pictures on the walls. The 
chandeliers in all the rooms are of fine porce- 
lain. 

On leaving the palace we drove through the 
park. It is expressly forbidden to take pho- 
tographs of the palace or grounds. The pres- 
ent Czar lives in a palace near Peterhof. He 
does not go to the city often, through fear, I 
suppose, of persons with evil intent. Conse- 
quently, it is desirable to keep the plan of these 
grounds as secret as possible. It is said that 
when the Czar visits Petrograd he often goes 
by sea in a motor boat; for thus it would be 
easy to discern if he were being followed. 

Peterhof and the palaces near it are very 
closely guarded by Cossacks. There is a say- 
ing that Cossacks around these palaces are as 
thick as the trees. The fountains in the park 
were so beautiful that I decided to risk any pen- 

82 



Russia and Austria 



alty in order to get a picture of them. We were 
I should think about a quarter of a mile away 
from the palace. A gendarme was on duty, 
pacing up and down the terrace which com- 
manded a view of our carriage. I had my 
camera concealed under my wraps. I in- 
structed the cabman to stop the carriage near 
the fountains, where I would have the sun back 
of me. When the gendarme turned his back 
toward us, I rose quickly, snapped a picture, 
and as quickly sat down to conceal the camera. 
It all had to be done so rapidly that I did not 
know whether I had the right position, and 
there was no time to duplicate the picture. 
When our carriage passed through the gate to 
leave the grounds the same gendarme was on 
duty there. He looked at me with anger. I 
think he had made up his mind to watch peo- 
ple more closely in the future, and I had made 

83 



Travel Sketches 



up mine to never take such a chance again. 
When I arrived home and had the pictures 
developed, they were all very good. 

We got back to Petrograd at seven o'clock 
in the evening, and complained to the guide 
that thus far we had not found a good restau- 
rant. He directed us to a French restaurant 
in a street that runs along the side of an unin- 
viting canal. We found the tables in a pretty 
garden, laid out after the style of the summer 
gardens and theaters in the Champs Elysees. 
The head waiter, who now approached us, was 
quite a French grandee in style and manner. 
Doctor suddenly discovered that owing to the 
extravagance of our guide he had but little 
change left in his pockets. He said to the head 
waiter, "Do you cash American Express 
checks here?" The waiter did not hesitate a 
moment. With level gaze and a very polite 

84 



Russia and Austria 



bow he replied, "No, we do not; but Monsieur 
may dine tonight and pay tomorrow." We 
accepted the offer. The dinner was a dollar 
and a half a plate without wine or mineral 
water. 

The splendid repast finished, we tarried a 
few minutes to enjoy the music and watch the 
interesting crowd, composed of upper class 
Russians and foreigners. We then ap- 
proached the head waiter and asked him to 
allow one of the small boys to go with us to 
the hotel and bring back the money for the 
dinners. Still imperturbably polite, he sug- 
gested that we send it the next day. We, 
however, hastened back to the hotel, got a 
check cashed, and then Doctor returned to 
the restaurant and paid the bill, while the 
waiter protested that this was quite unneces- 
sary. 

85 



Travel Sketches 



The cabs and cab drivers of Petrograd are 
strikingly interesting. The Russian cab, 
called a drosky, is a light victoria, about 
large enough to seat one person comfortably. 
Consequently when two large Americans 
occupy the same drosky they must hold on to 
each other and to the cab in order to main- 
tain their equilibrium. The drivers are peas- 
ants from the interior. Their honest faces 
have the clear color of vigorous health and 
beam with good humor. Their blue uniforms, 
even in August, are padded with pillows, to 
convey the idea that the employer is prosper- 
ous and his driver fat and well cared for. We 
would say the uniforms are stuffed; but I 
noticed the guide said they were "stopped up" 
with pillows. The drivers race along the street 
at a three-minute gait, and their beautiful jet 
black Orloff horses flecked with foam present 

86 




A DROSKY DHIVEM, PETBOGRAD 



Russia and Austria 



a most exhilarating spectacle. Among the 
thousands of cabs on the street, many going at 
top speed, I never saw an accident. 

I had great fun taking photographs of the 
droskies and their drivers. I secured a posi- 
tion in the rear of one broad-backed driver 
and took careful aim, so as to be sure and get 
all of his width into the picture. He had not 
the slightest idea of what was going on, but 
there was a line of droskies behind him, and 
their drivers were doubled up with laughter. 
I came upon another driver who was sitting 
perfectly upright on his box, but sound asleep. 
Just as I snapped the camera, he woke up 
and began to rub his eyes. 

We left Petrograd by a night train for 
Moscow. The ride is rather comfortable, and 
the train arrives at Moscow at a convenient 
hour in the morning. Luckily we had a bet- 

87 



Travel Sketches 



ter hotel at Moscow than we did at Petrograd, 
and did not have to look for a restaurant for 
every meal. 

The first thing we did was to try and find 
a guide. The hotel porter said it would be 
very difficult to get one, because there was a 
large tourist party in the city, and because 
many private parties visit Moscow at this time 
of the year, and all the guides are engaged. 
He had many indefinite excuses. We after- 
ward learned that this particular porter paid 
the hotel one hundred and fifty dollars per 
month to hold his position and that the posi- 
tion is worth fifteen thousand dollars a year 
in tips. We got a very good guide from an- 
other hotel. 

The guide first took us to the Kremlin, 
which is the citadel or fortress in the center 
of modern Moscow. It is two miles around 

88 



Russia and Austria 



the walls, which are from thirty to fifty feet 
high. They are surmounted by nine artistic 
towers, and the entrances are through five 
gates remarkable for their beauty. Within 
the Kremlin are churches, monasteries, law 
courts and a palace which the Czar occupies 
when visiting Moscow. Peter the Great 
moved the capital of Russia from Moscow to 
St. Petersburg, now Petrograd, in 1712. 

As we were about to pass through a gate 
into the Kremlin I noticed a shrine in the wall 
fronting the street. The shrine contained va- 
rious holy pictures, and was filled with a 
crowd of travel-stained, distressed looking pil- 
grims, who had come from a great distance 
to worship there. They were kissing the feet 
of the ikon and prostrating themselves on the 
floor of the shrine in complete subjection and 
humiliation. Many of them had sat on the 

89 



Travel Sketches 



steps all night, waiting for the doors of the 
shrine to open. They looked very poor and 
as if they were craving spiritual comfort. 

Inside the Kremlin we first visited the 
church of the Assumption where the Czars 
are crowned. They are baptized in the church 
of the Ascension, and up to the time of Peter 
the Great they were buried in the church of 
St. Michael, the archangel. 

The principal decorations in all of these 
churches are ikons made of gilded silver and 
heavily ornamented with jewels. It happened 
to be the Feast Day of St. Mary of Magda- 
len, and we hastened to the church of St. Sau- 
veur to be present at the full service. This 
church was built to commemorate the expul- 
sion of the French from Moscow, and the serv- 
ice here on high feast days is most impressive. 
It began shortly after ten o'clock, and was 

90 



Russia and Austria 



conducted by three priests in heavy gold robes. 
One of them chanted in a deep, resonant voice 
from the altar, and was answered by a remark- 
able choir, stationed in stalls on either side of 
the altar. The choir boys wore handsome uni- 
forms of black, with red vests and sleeves and 
white surplices edged with gold. 

Presently the choir left its place by the altar 
and marched among the standing congrega- 
tion to the center of the church. Then began 
the anthem part of the service. With clear 
tones the sopranos rang out, followed by the 
boy tenors with flute-like voices and the con- 
traltos in tones of a mellow cello; then came 
the deep bass voices of the men. This unison 
rose and fell in pure harmony, like the waves 
of a sustained sound of a great organ, pro- 
ducing the most beautiful melodies that echoed 
through the vaulted nave, and creating in the 

91 



Travel Sketches 



participant of the service an impressive emo- 
tion of spirituality. The choir of St. Sauveur 
is well worth going to Europe to hear, even 
if one had to return by the first boat. 

After the service we walked to the Church 
of the Assumption in the Kremlin. In front 
of the church was a line of stacked guns. 
Many soldiers and all the people coming out 
of the church were running to the Kremlin 
walls, which overlook the river. We asked the 
guide the cause. He replied that a celebra- 
tion in honor of the Feast Day had been ar- 
ranged to take place immediately after the 
service. The celebration began by the firing 
of eight cannons, mounted in a tower, which 
faced the river. One hundred and one guns 
were fired in rapid succession. The large bell 
weighing forty-four thousand tons, and thir- 
ty-three smaller ones were ringing at the same 

92 



Russia and Austria 



time. With the booming of the guns, together 
with the jingle and clanging of the bells, one 
could fairly see the French retreating in the 
war of 1812. 

The old palace was burned in 1812, along 
with many other public and private buildings. 
We visited the new palace in the afternoon. 
It contains many souvenirs of Napoleon, and 
is quite modern. 

The architecture of the monastery, also in- 
side the Kremlin, was attractively Russian. 
Ranged along the base of the arsenal build- 
ings are four hundred cannons taken from 
Napoleon. In the middle of the open space 
between the arsenal and the law courts is a 
cross marking the exact spot where Grand 
Duke Sergius was assassinated, in 1905. 

One of the most important things outside 
the Kremlin walls is the Cathedral of St. Basil, 

93 



Travel Sketches 



built in 1554, on the Place Rouge, by Ivan 
IV., to commemorate the victory of Kazan. 
It is of the gorgeous Russian style of archi- 
tecture, and kaleidoscopic in coloring. There 
is a legend to the effect that Ivan IV. was so 
pleased with this church that he had the eyes 
of the Italian architect who built it put out, 
so it could not be duplicated. Its wonderful 
domes surmount a series of towers. The chap- 
els in the towers are connected by dark and 
narrow passageways. In order to get a pic- 
ture of the church I had to struggle up a sandy 
embankment twenty-five or thirty feet high. 
Sand and stones slipped from under my feet. 
On reaching the summit I found myself above 
the top of a small tree which shows in the pic- 
ture; then by hanging on to the branches of 
another tree I sustained myself while photo- 
graphing the church. 

94 




CATHEDRAL OF ST. BASIL, MOSCOW 



Russia and Austria 



Opposite the Cathedral of St. Basil, on the 
Place Rouge, is a modern department store 
containing one thousand shops. In excavat- 
ing for the building the workmen took out two 
hundred wagon loads of bones. On the other 
side of the Place Rouge is a government build- 
ing, of that same awful red as the palace in 
Petrograd. 

Catherine the Great founded a university 
in Moscow. There is an orphan asylum which 
receives twelve thousand children a year. 

One morning we went shopping in the mod- 
ern part of Moscow, for the necessities we had 
left behind us in various hotels — here a razor 
strap, there a pair of rubbers, then an umbrella, 
until our path through Europe could have been 
traced by the things we left behind. 

Near our hotel was a clean, modern busi- 
ness street, with a fine commission fruit mar- 

95 



Travel Sketches 



ket on one side and shops on the other. And 
right out in the middle of the street was a 
pretty little white church, with gold domes and 
steeple, the church of Friday Proskovie, 
named after a saint. 

One afternoon when walking by this church 
I saw a handsomely ornamented coach with 
four beautiful white horses standing there. 
The coach was lined with white satin. There 
were two footmen on the box in tan livery. It 
was very warm, and the equipage was drawn 
up into a niche of the road where it was in 
complete shade. I told the guide to offer the 
coachman money and ask him to swing the 
team and coach into the sunshine, where I 
could photograph them. The guide said that 
he would not dare to offer him money or at- 
tempt to interfere with his plans, for the 
daughter of the curate was being married in- 

96 



Russia and Austria 



side the church while a gold crown was being 
held over her head. He further said that the 
magnificent equipage was not private, but 
had been hired from a neighboring stable. 
An impulse came to me to seize the bridle and 
lead the horses out into the sun, where I could 
photograph them; but as the infringement of 
law or custom is severely punished in Russia, I 
decided to take no chances. 

One afternoon about four thirty we took a 
rambling street car for Sparrow Hills, to see 
the sun set on Moscow. The ride through the 
suburbs was full of interest. Arriving at the 
end of the line, we left the car for quite a walk 
to the summit of the hill. I was walking in 
the middle of the sandy road. Suddenly 
around a turn in the road there appeared a 
Cossack, mounted on a splendid black horse. 
He wore a long royal blue coat and a typical 

97 



Travel Sketches 



turban of black and red. I was right in posi- 
tion, with the sun back of me, to get a good 
picture. I raised my camera, and then it oc- 
curred to me that it is against the law in 
Russia to photograph the military. My cam- 
era dropped to my side, and the single horse- 
man passed nonchalantly by. 

At the summit of the hill there is a cafe, 
in which a company of peasants were singing 
folk-songs. These songs generally ended in a 
lamenting minor note. I think there are many 
unsolved problems in the hearts of the Rus- 
sian peasants. 

Down the side of the hill the grass was vel- 
vet green, and it spread across the plain in 
front of us to the walls of the Novo-Dievitchie 
Convent with its many artistic spires. Beyond 
the convent lay Moscow, with an appearance 
of close-knit white stucco along its base line, 

98 



Russia and Austria 



while along the sky line hundreds of golden 
domes glittered in the setting sun. As the 
rays of the sun became weaker, the myriads 
of dazzling scintillations resolved themselves 
into single flashes of light that could be 
counted. These also died out and Moscow 
was enveloped in an atmosphere of spiritual 
silence. It was from Sparrow Hills Napoleon 
first viewed Moscow. At that time there were 
one thousand churches in the city; now there 
are approximately five hundred, each one sur- 
mounted by two to seven domes. 

Our guide said that the Czar of Russia is 
the richest man in the world; that he owns 
all of Siberia, which is rich in gold, silver and 
minerals; that Czar Peter the Great placed a 
sum of money in the government bank for the 
last Czar and this has been constantly increas- 
ing. The Czar is also head of the Church, 

99 



Travel Sketches 



which gives him an immense political influ- 
ence. 

When a street car in Petrograd passes a 
church every Russian in the car immediately 
blesses himself. A uniformed soldier riding 
in a cab about to pass a church will ostenta- 
tiously make the sign of the cross. There are 
religious shrines in the railroad offices on the 
Nevsky Prospekt, the Broadway of Petro- 
grad, and in all the railway stations. 

When one compares the royal collection of 
personal jewelry in the Hermitage, represent- 
ing a prodigious sum, with the conditions 
among the poorer classes of people, the con- 
trast is too great. There is a room in a palace 
on the Nevsky Prospekt which is lined with 
lapis lazuli at a cost of one dollar an ounce; 
and there is a seventy-five carat diamond in the 
frame of a holy picture in one of the churches. 

100 



Russia and Austria 



Yet in some communities the peasants are so 
poor that several families use the same din- 
ing-room because no one family can afford a 
dining table. The peasants gather around the 
table in the middle of which is placed a bowl 
of soup ; each person has a large piece of bread 
which is dipped into the soup again and again 
until the meal is finished. 

There are in the suburbs of Petrograd sev- 
eral palaces which the Czar has presented to 
retired government officials. These palaces 
are provided with military guards, to protect 
the occupants from assassination. 

The chief of police of Petrograd gets fifty 
thousand dollars a year; a laborer gets fifty 
cents a da}^. I have sat on park benches in 
Petrograd, among the poor people, and have 
seen them shiver and shrink back, and their 
faces blanch with fear, when a soldier simply 

101 



Travel Sketches 



passed on his way through the park. 

One can better appreciate Tolstoi's influ- 
ence in Russia after having visited there. By 
birth he was an aristocrat; but he voluntarily 
left that class to go and live among the poor 
and to share their fate. Some of his brother 
writers, while still in the prime of life, disap- 
peared in the mysterious Russian way; but 
Tolstoi, in spite of his writings, remained un- 
harmed, because the government would have 
had to reckon with the intellectual world out- 
side of Russia had anything happened to him. 
Tolstoi has been called the "Russian John the 
Baptist," preaching in the wilderness; and it 
has been said that had he been sent to Siberia 
every peasant in Russia would have followed 
him. 

Cholera is said to be prevalent in Petrograd 
in the summer time. The streets are sprinkled 

102 



Russia and Austria 



with a disinfectant, the odor of which is so 
nauseating that the upper classes desert the 
city at this season. 

The black-eyed, tall-statured Russian with 
high pompadour and black beard that one 
reads of in novels is the exception in Petro- 
grad. Most of the inhabitants have light hair 
and fair skin, like the Scandinavians. 

Russians of the upper class are highly cul- 
tivated, and speak easily several languages. 
The middle class and the peasants are, as a 
rule, of fine strong stature with a vigorous 
walk, and have open, honest faces. The peo- 
ple are not educated to self-government; if 
they were, and if Russia were a republic, it 
would be one of the finest countries in the 
world. 

And now we leave the fascinating domes 
of Russia to journey in Austria. It was im- 

103 



Travel Sketches 



possible to secure accommodations by way of 
Warsaw, so we took a straight route to 
Vienna. This was the worst journey that I 
ever made. I think we were two days and 
three nights on the road. The thermometer 
registered one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, 
and all the car windows were kept closed to 
keep out the clouds of sand. The guard dust- 
ed the compartment several times a day, but 
in the morning I would lean out of my berth 
and fish my shoes out of a mound of dirt. 
From the train we saw great fields of waving 
grain which was being harvested by men, 
women and children with sickles and scythes. 
The peasant huts are small and dilapidated, 
with thatched roofs and a single stove pipe. 

In the dining car the one palatable dish 
was cabbage soup. There was no drinking 
water on the train, so at a way station we en- 

104 



Russia and Austria 



tered a lunch room to buy some bottled water. 
Upon the counter was a large collection of 
what looked like bottles of mineral water in 
our own country. We purchased one for a 
dollar, and thought now we would have some 
fresh drinking water for our parched throats. 
When we returned to our compartment and 
expectantly opened the bottle, we found — not 
drinking water at all, but vodka, the Russian 
whisky ! We carefully conserved it till the end 
of the trip, and then presented it to the train 
guard, who thanked us profusely. 

When we reached Vienna, it took us a whole 
day to make ourselves presentable. Our 
clothes could not be made clean, and we had 
to throw them away. 

In Vienna one afternoon, as I approached 
St. Stephen's Church, I noticed a crowd as- 
sembling. I inquired the reason, and was told 

105 



Travel Sketches 



that they were coming to assist at the funeral 
of the Archbishop of Vienna, which would oc- 
cur at three o'clock. Carriages of dignitaries 
were now passing through the square to the 
church. The uniformed coachmen wore em- 
pire hats with cockade ornaments. The square 
was guarded by the police, who demonstrated 
an excellent system of firm but gentle control 
of the crowds. All sorts of uniforms were to 
be seen; the Hussars were resplendent in red 
trousers, high top boots, and green plumes. 
A Field Marshal wore a Copenhagen blue 
jacket with black trousers having red stripes 
on the side. 

Delegations from women's, children's, men's 
and nuns' societies, with banners flying, ar- 
rived from time to time, and were marshalled 
to waiting positions in the square. A regi- 
ment of Hussars seemed to have the post of 

106 



Russia and Austria 



honor, near the church door. The cardinals 
in full regalia repaired to the archbishop's 
palace, opposite the church. 

Almost immediately the procession formed. 
The cardinals, enveloped in long embroidered 
red capes and mitred hats, led the way as a 
guard of honor. Behind them the coffin was 
carried aloft by bearers. It was covered by 
two purple cloths of different shades, and a 
huge but simple wreath of green with flowers 
rising mound-like from its center. 

The procession now circled the church, pick- 
ing up in its course the societies from their va- 
rious positions. First came the Jesuits, then 
the Franciscans, and then the Dominicans. 
There were twelve hundred priests in line, in 
white cassocks, and following them came the 
secular societies. 

On the left is the Gothic tower of St. Ste- 

107 



Travel Sketches 



phens, on the right are quaint, antique gabled 
buildings. Into the passageway between them 
wound the procession, the afternoon sun il- 
luminating a spectacle that might have oc- 
curred in the fourteenth century. The cortege 
had for a background the military and the 
ambassadorial carriages, filled with all the dig- 
nitaries that represent the cog wheels of a 
brilliant monarchial firmament. 

With slow steps the procession advanced, to 
the music of a sombre military dirge. The 
bells in St. Stephen's tower ring, toll, strike, 
strike, toll and ring until the last follower of 
the coffin disappeared within the black draped 
portals of the church. 

When I first arrived at the square I stood 
in front of two laboring men. They were 
short, and I almost obscured their view. 
When a carriage containing some dignitary 

108 



Russia and Austria 



appeared they would eagerly inspect him. 
The}^ would then look at each other with 
beaming eyes and say, "Yis, that is his excel- 
lency on the right.'' Then they would touch 
their hats. When a priest appeared they 
would say, "That is his riverence so and so," 
and violently cross themselves. 

Several times I advanced into the square 
to take a picture, but the guard always mo- 
tioned me back. Finally I was standing in 
front of a jewelry shop, rather discouraged, 
when the proprietor stepped out and in a most 
courteous way offered me a window in his 
second story for a view point. Through his 
kindness I was able to get several pictures. 

The Rathaus in Vienna is of Gothic archi- 
tecture, and is built around one large court 
and six smaller ones. There is a large fest 
hall, with a magnificent marble staircase. The 

109 



Travel Sketches 



ceiling of the Council Chamber is of gold, and 
the sides of beautiful paneled wood. The fres- 
coes represent historical and allegorical scenes. 
Other rooms contain beautiful Gothic furni- 
ture. From an upper balcony in front of the 
f 
Rathaus there is an inspiring view of Vienna, 

which for grandeur, elegance and dignity of 
architecture is not surpassed among the vistas 
of European cities. 

A fine bronze monument of Maria Theresa 
adorns the park in front of the art gallery of 
Vienna. The excellent and wonderfully in- 
teresting collection of art in this gallery is 
taken full advantage of by a large student 
body. I selected and purchased about sixty 
photographs of the pictures that most im- 
pressed me. 

In another quarter of the city is the gallery 
of Count Liechtenstein. The guide-book says 

110 



Russia and Austria 



that the portrait of Marie Luise von Tassis, 
in this gallery, is one of the finest pieces of art 
of the seventeenth century. I think it is one 
of the finest belonging to any century. 

In the Vienna shops are photos of Franz 
Joseph in many costumes and poses. The one 
I liked best was a sepia portrait on a postal 
card, showing the Emperor in Alpine costume, 
with an Alpine feather in his hat. When the 
shop keepers hand out photos of Franz Ferdi- 
nand and the Archduke Francis, you get the 
history of the whole royal family. 

In Vienna we fell in with some friends from 
home. Each day we took our meals with them 
in a different cafe. This seems to be the cus- 
tom here. I saw ladies taking breakfast alone, 
and was told it is quite customary for a wife 
to patronize a cafe which she liked, while her 
husband would go to a different one. 

Ill 



Travel Sketches 



After returning home, I met a gentleman 
who had married a Viennese girl and brought 
her to his home city in America. He said she 
missed the cafe life in Vienna very much, and 
he was having great difficulty in finding 
enough cafes in his town to take her to. 

Earfy one morning we drove a considerable 
distance from Vienna to a wharf on the 
Danube, to take a boat for Budapest. The 
boat was an average river steamer, with the 
decks protected by flapping canvas. In a 
cold drizzling rain, which continued all day, 
we sat on the wet decks in company with an 
interesting English couple, whose adaptabil- 
ity and social charm relieved the situation from 
boredom and discomfort. It was still raining 
when we disembarked at Budapest about six 
o'clock in the evening. 

Budapest is really two cities. Buda is sit- 

112 



Russia and Austria 



uated on one side of the Danube, and Pest on 
the other. The majestic river sweeps along 
under a series of fine suspension bridges con- 
necting the two cities. Rising from the ter- 
raced banks on one side are the Palace and 
several magnificent government buildings. 
On the opposite side are the beautiful Parlia- 
ment House, the market on the wharf, and the 
hotels. Budapest is one of the most pictur- 
esque cities in the world, especially at night, 
when the lights are in the buildings and on 
the terraces. 

The Gothic Parliament House in Budapest 
is a delight to an art lover. Near it I saw a 
gypsy woman wearing at least sixteen petti- 
coats of different colors. As she walked their 
voluminous folds swung about from their own 
weight and revealed all sorts of brilliant color- 
ings. She had a happy, laughing face, and 

113 



Travel Sketches 



was barefoot. Her male companion was 
dressed principally in a goat skin, and a violin 
was swung* across his back. Somehow the 
gypsies did not seem to provide the proper so- 
cial atmosphere for the Gothic Parliament 
House, whose beautiful dome is visible at the 
head of so many streets that radiate from it 
like the spokes of a wheel. 

I understand that Budapest is quite ad- 
vanced in problems of health and sanitation; 
but the streets were certainly very dirty when 
we were there. 

The next morning we went shopping. We 
wished to buy a Hungarian flag. A merchant 
referred us to a man who made them to order. 
We entered a small, dark room off an alley, 
near the central business portion of the city. 
The man said yes, he would make us a flag. 
He also said he was just preparing to depart 
i 114 



Russia and Austria 



for America. "Here I am able to make only 
a few gulden a week," he said, "and if I buy 
something to eat I have nothing left for 
clothes," and vice versa. We returned in an 
hour to get the flag. It was made of strips of 
cheap satin ribbon, coarsely sewn together by 
a machine, which was the only piece of furni- 
ture in the workroom. 

We returned to Vienna by train, the trip 
occupying five hours. The next day at noon 
we left Vienna by train for Linz, Austria, a 
picturesque little town situated on the Danube. 
It was dark when we arrived, but there was 
a great glow of light on the opposite bank of 
the river. I learned upon inquiry that it was 
a folk-fest. 

Dinner at the hotel was served in a garden 
on the river bank, and the light from the op- 
posite shore streamed right up to our table. 

115 ! 



Travel Sketches 



We thought all we had to do was to walk 
across the bridge and we would be right at 
the fair, but it proved to be nearly two miles. 
The main street of the fair was lined with 
cafes, crowded with country people, drinking 
beer. In every cafe was an excellent band. 

We visited a Tyrolean hunting booth. The 
guns were very old. The sight was obtained 
by looking through a pin-hole in a central 
disc. Further down the barrel a pointer was 
placed, not in the middle, but on one side. A 
series of painted scenes, apparently inanimate, 
were hung along the back wall of the booth. 
A white card with a red bull's-eye in the cen- 
ter was attached to each scene. When the 
bull's-eye was hit the scene became animated, 
revealing a man spanking his wife, while their 
child rent the air with screams. In another 
scene a boy in a tree stealing apples was pulled 

116 



Russia and Austria 



down by the irate owner, and so on. 

At another booth a fairy at a window beck- 
oned ns in. Once inside we began a tortuous 
walk through dark corridors; sometimes over 
revolving plates, then over soft bags, then on 
rickety slats, until finally a canvas stretched 
over revolving rollers ejected us through the 
welcome ausgang (exit). 

The next morning was Sunday, also a fest 
day. Crowds swarmed up and down Franz 
Joseph Platz, visiting the market on the way 
to church. Many handsome Tyrolean cos- 
tumes were to be seen. 

The church at Linz is a model of St. Ste- 
phen's in Vienna. Linz also has a handsome 
museum. The town is immaculately clean and 
very pleasing. 

We left Linz by train early in the morning 
for Salzburg, by way of the Kammersee and 

117 / 



Travel Sketches 



Mondsee. About noon we arrived at Kammer, 
situated at the head of the Kammersee. At 
the hotel we had lunch in a garden near the 
lake, where there are beautiful views of moun- 
tain peaks. At three o'clock in the afternoon 
we took a boat to journey to Unterach, at the 
other end of the lake. The trip was most de- 
lightful. 

The Kammersee, or Attersee, is one of the 
largest lakes in the Tyrol. Its waters are a 
fascinating sea green. The steamer travels 
along one shore for a time, and then strikes 
directly across the lake and pokes its nose into 
the harbor of some little town which, on ac- 
count of the lake mists, cannot be seen from a 
distance. At all these points native Tyroleans 
board the boat. Among the ladies low-necked 
costumes prevailed, and half socks among the 
men. And although the day was a bit chilly, 
i 118 



Russia and Austria 



I did not see one of them shiver. 

The mountains rise directly from the wa- 
ter's edge, and are clothed with pine tree ver- 
dure and dotted with Swiss chalets. The 
Schafberg and its companion peaks are visible; 
at first clouded with mist, but on nearer ap- 
proach becoming clearer and more forcibly 

outlined. 

In Weissenbach numerous hospitable look- 
ing chalets are to be seen near the docks. 
From Weissenbach the boat proceeds straight 
across to the town of Unterach, which is sit- 
uated in the valley that leads to the town of 
See. We disembarked and took an electric 
car for the latter place, a quarter of an hour's 
ride. At See we boarded one of the little 
steamers plying on Mondsee. After a short 
ride on this lake, which also is sea-green and 
has mountain-rocked shores, we alighted at 
/ 119 



Travel Sketches 



Plomberg and took the narrow-gauge railway 
for Salzburg. 

We arrived at Salzburg (elevation 1,350 
feet) at eight o'clock in the evening. In pass- 
ing through the lobby of the hotel I noticed 
that it is modern. At the rose shaded tables 
in the dining room every one was in faultless 
evening dress. 

Our first real view of Salzburg was from 
the window of our room. Lights appeared at 
irregular intervals on the mountain side and in 
the valley. Deep -toned bells rang out from 
many church towers, proclaiming this com- 
munity to be a church- going one; and as no 
sounds of business life came from the valley, 
we were reminded that this was the same holi- 
day which we had begun at Linz. 

The next morning we visited the house 
where Mozart lived, the Mozart Museum and 

120 



Russia and Austria 



the Cathedral. We then took the cable rail- 
way to the fortress on Hohen Salzburg, which 
was built in the eleventh century. In feudal 
times, when a town expected an attack from an 
enemy, it was customary for the citizens to 
take refuge in some impregnable fortress like 
Hohen Salzburg, where, with plenty of sup- 
plies to ward off starvation, safety could be 
secured quite indefinitely. In case of siege 
about twelve hundred people could be taken 
care of in Hohen Salzburg. 

From the fortress there are fine views of 
several valleys. I was ready to take a snap 
shot of one when the guide sharply notified me 
it was against the law to take pictures there. 
The other members of the party promptly put 
up their cameras. After they had all docilely 
followed the guide to the opposite side of the 
tower to hear his lecture, I took two very good 

121 



Travel Sketches 



pictures. 

Inside the fortress there are several deco- 
rated rooms which were used by a prince. 
Among the furnishings are a majolica stove 
from the fifteenth century, and an organ made 
in the eleventh century for Archbishop Leon- 
ard. The organ is played every day at 11 
a. m. following the playing of the chimes in 
Salzburg Cathedral. 

We came down the cable railway to St. 
Peter's Church and Cemetery, situated at the 
base of the mountain on the outskirts of Salz- 
burg. The cemetery is quaint with bronze 
crucifixes at every grave; it has as much in- 
dividuality as the Canipo Santo. 

It was eleven o'clock and the chimes of Salz- 
burg Cathedral rang out. When they ceased, 
the Archbishop's organ pealed back from the 
fortress five hundred feet higher up. The 



Russia and Austria 



melody of a church hymn floated through the 
castle window to greater heights and then in 
full harmonious volume down to the cemetery, 
where travelers stood with enraptured, up- 
turned faces. The dead here must be at peace, 
and there is also peace here for the living, 
weary and bruised in worldly strife. The 
Tyroleans standing about said, "It is the Arch- 
bishop's organ," and removed their hats until 
the music ceased. 

In the afternoon we drove to Berchtes- 
gaden. This town is built along a road which 
winds up the mountain side, and consequently 
presents a very picturesque appearance. We 
continued our drive to Konigs See, one of the 
most beautiful lakes in the world, and returned 
to Salzburg by way of Bad Reichenhall, a 
placid little bathing-place, where a few smart 
rigs were the sole attraction on the street. 

123 



Travel Sketches 



We left Salzburg early the next morning 
for Innsbruck, by way of Zell am See. This 
is one of the prettiest railway trips in Eu- 
rope. The route crosses mountain torrents 
and passes along the borders of placid lakes 
and through beautiful valleys, from which the 
ruins of feudal castles on the mountain sides 
may be seen. 

The architecture of the chalets here becomes 
more typical of the Tyrol. With the idea of 
securing plans for a summer home, I sat at 
the car window and industriously sketched de- 
signs of chalets as we passed. Some had wood 
ornamentation on cement walls; others had 
fancy iron railings on the roofs; still others 
carved balconies, gables and porches. On the 
back of my designs, long since lost, Doctor 
drew leering, comic figures. 

Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol, is a city 



Russia and Austria 



of about forty-five thousand inhabitants and 
is unusually interesting as to both scenery and 
history. It is situated in a basin, around which 
mountains, with sharp, snow-covered peaks 
close in on every side. The principal street is 
the broad parked Maria Theresien Strasse, 
lined on both sides with shops, hotels and other 
buildings, with a handsome monument in the 
center. Some of the buildings date from the 
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Herzog 
Friedrich Strasse leads out from Maria The- 
resien Strasse to the north and is lined with 
bazaar shops. Facing its terminus is a palace 
enriched with a magnificent Gothic balcony, 
decorated with a combination of gold and 
mosaic. The story goes that Count Friedrich 
of Tyrol was such a spendthrift that he was 
known as the Count of the Empty Pockets. 
In order to counterbalance the effect of this ap- 

125 



Travel Sketches 



pellation he caused the palace with das goldene 
dachl (the golden balcony) to be built at a 
cost of approximately seventy thousand dol- 
lars. The balcony is really a fine work of art, 
and is visited by many appreciative tourists. 

We next visited the Franciscan Church, 
which was built in compliance with the will of 
Emperor Maximilian I., in order to receive his 
monument. He is not buried here, however, 
but at Wiener Neustadt. Andreas Hofer, 
the brave defender of Innsbruck, and some of 
his comrades, are buried in this church. 

The Emperor's monument in the church is 
of white marble; upon the sides are reliefs of 
fine carvings, done by the master minds of 
that era and representing events in the life of 
the Emperor. Surrounding it is a collection 
of bronze figures, the finest replica among 
them being that of King Arthur. 

126 



Russia and Austria 



In the evening we dined at the Stadtsalle 
restaurant, where a Tyrolean troupe in charm- 
ing' costume gave an entertainment of songs 
and dances. One of the numbers was called 
a platter dance. I recollect hearing the people 
say the dancers were coming to "platter" that 
evening. This dance consisted in patting the 
floor with wooden-soled shoes in double 
rhythm, and it ended with the couple doing a 
whirl so prolonged that it seemed as if they 
must certainly collapse with vertigo; but in- 
stead they brought up short in perfect equilib- 
rium, and with calm, smiling faces. 

At the south end of Maria Theresien Strasse 
is a handsome triumphal arch. From here a 
road leading into the country passes an artistic 
church and continues up Berg Isel, the hill 
upon which the brave Andreas Hofer and 
his comrades defended Innsbruck from the 

m 



Travel Sketches 



French. 

On another suburban trip we drove to 
Miihlau, a settlement with pert little mills run 
by electricity. Then one day we took a street 
car which connects with the incline railway to 
the Weiherburg. As the car rolled along I 
saw a woman washing windows from the out- 
side of her house. She was armed with a dip- 
per and a large pail of water, and her head 
was protected by a dusting cap. She would 
fill the dipper, then with a backward sweep of 
her arm pitch the water against the window 
with great force, and then dodge back to the 
edge of the sidewalk. Evidently she was do- 
ing good work, for the entire front of the house 
was so dripping wet, it looked as though the 
fire department had turned the hose on it. 
The sidewalk was a miniature lake, but the 
windows seemed quite dry. 

128 



Russia and Austria 



From the Weiherburg there is a wonderful 
panoramic view of Innsbruck with its suburbs 
and the Valley of the Inn River. Along the 
ed-o-e of the mountain there is a row of chalets 
that look as if any fair wind would blow 
them into the valley. The one I definitely se- 
lected as a model for my summer home had a 
first story of white cement. The second story 
was of gorgeous red stained wood. A carved 
wood balcony, fringed with gay red geraniums, 
encircled the entire house on a level with the 
second story floor. On one side of the house 
near the front, was painted a large oval copy 
of the Dresden Madonna. 

From Innsbruck we continued our trip to 
Munich along the Bavarian lakes. From 
Munich we took a through train to Paris. As 
this was at the time of the Moroccan crisis, we 
saw troops of German infantry moving to- 

129 



Travel Sketches 



wards the French frontier, and, after we 
crossed the line, French cavalry moving to- 
wards the German frontier. Our train con- 
sisted of eleven coaches, nine of which were 
filled with soldiers. The railroad station in 
Paris swarmed with troops wearing plumed 
helmets and clanking swords. 



130 



Ill 

Belgium and Holland 

ONE of the most popular continental 
routes into Holland is from Paris 
through Belgium by way of Brussels. The 
Brussels Express, which is called the Rapide, 
leaves the Gare du Nord, Paris, and reaches 
its destination in from five to six hours. On 
reaching Brussels we at once change cars for 
Ostend. 

Ostend is the fashionable sea coast resort 
of Belgium. When King Leopold was alive 
he maintained a summer residence here, and 
fashionable people flocked to the resort in 
great numbers. There is a promenade along 
the seashore similar to those at Brighton, Eng- 
land, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, but this 

131 



Travel Sketches 



one is built of stone, and is more permanent. 
Ostend is laid out with parked streets and at- 
tractive gardens. The Kursaal fronts upon a 
pretty park. A splendid orchestra and famous 
operatic stars appear at the Kursaal in the 
evening, and the assemblage is brilliant with 
style and fashion. There is more swing in 
the life at Ostend than in any other sea coast 
resort of continental Europe. 

Our next visit was to Bruges, which was 
one of the most important commercial towns in 
Europe in the thirteenth century. There is 
sufficient evidence of its former splendor in 
the Gothic municipal buildings and the 
churches. In the hospital of St. John is a col- 
lection of pictures by Memling which is well 
worthy of a visit. 

In the outskirts of the city there is a con- 
vent in which old ladies may be seen making 

132 



Belgium and Holland 



the famous Bruges lace. In the belfry of the 
Halles there is a set of the finest chimes in 
Europe. On almost every street corner artists 
are transferring perspectives to canvas; but 
this is about the only sign of life there is. 
Bruges went to sleep in the fourteenth century 
and has not awakened since. After a stroll 
through the unemotional streets, one hopes the 
town will never know the pulse of modern life, 
but will remain in all the glory of its Gothic 
architecture for the artistic education of fu- 
ture generations. 

After another short ride on the train, we 
reach Ghent. The Cathedral here is not strik- 
ing on the outside, but its interior is unusually 
interesting. A traveler visiting the Gothic 
cathedrals of many European countries be- 
comes familiar with carvings in marble as ex- 
quisite in design and execution as the finest 

133 



Travel Sketches 



lace work. In Belgium, however, he will see 
something different. In the interior of Bel- 
gium cathedrals they use red brick, heavy gold 
ornamentation, and red or dark grey stone 
pillars; and yet these are combined in such an 
artistic way that the effect is one of startling 
magnificence. The historical associations of 
Ghent are full of interest. 

On the outskirts of the city we met two 
charming girls driving a cart into town with 
a supply of milk in brass cans. The horse 
seemed to think it was too busy a morning to 
have his picture taken, but after much pulling 
on the reins the girls succeeded in inducing 
him to stand still long enough to be photo- 
graphed. 

Brussels is one of the most finished capitals 
of Europe. The streets are broad and clean, 
and ornamented with many handsome monu- 

134 



Belgium and Holland 



merits. The Cathedral of St. Gudule is rich 
with objects of art. The pulpit was carved 
by Verbriiggen, and represents the expulsion 
of Adam and Eve from Paradise. In the 
chapels are beautiful altars and paintings. 
The stained glass windows are very old, and 
in the mellow tones of many colors they radi- 
ate the effulgence of a lighted Christmas tree. 
The City Hall is Gothic in architecture 
and is extraordinarily beautiful. Outside of it, 
under red and white umbrellas, handsome 
flower girls sell bouquets. A large bunch of 
American Beauty roses may be had for twen- 
ty-five cents. 

The Art Gallery contains a choice, well se- 
lected collection of paintings and sculptures. 
The standard is higher than that of the Lux- 
emburg Gallery, and much better than that 
of the Louvre, both in Paris. It would take 

135 i 



Travel Sketches 



at least three days of a tourist's time to do 
justice to this gallery. 

The Bourse, a trading building, is conceived 
in a poetical style of architecture, which signi- 
fies that these people, while making rapid 
strides in commerce have simultaneously ad- 
vanced in art. 

Through the Bois de la Cambre, a suburban 
park, runs a pretty drive, which leads to the 
battle field of Waterloo. 

Not the least of Brussels' attractions are her 
boulevards and shops. It is often said of Eu- 
ropean shops that everything they have is in 
the windows; but in Brussels, after you have 
inspected the clever window displays, step in- 
side and you will find a large reserve stock 
of the famous Brussels lace, fine gloves and 
handsome leather goods. 

We went by train to Dordrecht, an old-time 

136 



Belgium and Holland 



city, founded by Count Dietrich of Holland in 
the eleventh century. It is said that in the 
middle ages all produce brought into Holland 
had to pass through Dordrecht and pay custom 
duties there. As a result the town became 
very flourishing. Its neighbor, Rotterdam, 
became envious and finally secured a great 
portion of this trade. 

The first Congress of the Netherlands Com- 
monwealth was held at Dordrecht. The city 
was the birthplace of many famous painters, 
among them Arij SchefFer and Nicholas 
Maes. 

In the Groote Kerk the choir stalls are finely 
carved, and represent work of the sixteenth 
century artists. They portray scenes of Bible 
history. The tower on this church is the only 
square thing in Dordrecht. The town is full 
of artistic houses with gabled roofs. Some of 

137 



Travel Sketches 



the women wear lace bonnets which are most 
picturesque. 

In Holland a camera at once attracts a 
crowd. When about to photograph a lady 
with a wonderful lace bonnet I was dismayed 
at seeing a lot of others trying to crowd into 
the picture. I had to promise them to take 
their picture after I had secured that of the 
lady. In the second picture, where the lead- 
ing lady is sharing the limelight with so many 
others, she is not wearing so pleasant a smile. 
I have been asked if the crowd is the lady's 
family. 

While walking along the main street one 
day I saw an artistic figure approaching, ac- 
companied by a peculiar odor. It proved to 
be a woman peddling kerosene. She was not 
anxious to be photographed, but submitted 
with passive interest. Later in the day I aim- 

138 



Belgium and Holland 



lessly turned into an alley and there was the 
kerosene peddler delivering a morning supply 
of kerosene to a customer. She promptly gave 
me a cordial bow, and explained to the lady in 
Dutch that I was a friend of hers who had al- 
ready taken her picture. My heart was 
warmed by this little human experience, and 
I felt more welcome in Dordrecht. 

Here, as in all Dutch towns, one sees most 
peculiar draw bridges which look like those 
over the moat of a feudal castle. 

Proceeding to the wharf to take a boat for 
Rotterdam, we were attracted by the clanging 
bell of a ferry boat, impatiently waiting for 
its last passengers, a boy and girl with large 
brass milk cans. They cheerfully took the 
risk of losing the boat for the sake of two cop- 
pers I tossed them while taking their pictures. 

An excellent modern steamboat plies be- 

139 



Travel Sketches 



tween Dordrecht and Rotterdam. It stops at 
Kinderquek and other points long enough to 
take aboard the butter and cheese brought 
down to the quay by the busy Dutch house- 
wives. Rotterdam is a commercial town. Its 
hotels are situated in noisy places, consequently 
we did not stay there long. 

The following day we placed our baggage 
on a convenient cab and told the man to drive 
to the boat for Delft. Presently the cab 
stopped and the driver set the baggage down. 
There was no boat in sight; but as we ap- 
proached nearer we saw below the high wharf 
a canal boat, on the top of which passengers 
occupied camp chairs around a sportive smoke 
stack. In the rear end of the boat were sev- 
eral cows, contentedly viewing the scenery 
while waiting for the boat to start. We went 
aboard, took our chairs, and joined the com- 

140 



Belgium and Holland 



pany around the smoke stack. The boat had 
hardly started when they all slid from their 
seats into a kneeling posture. We followed 
the example, just in time to save our heads 
from a good knock from a low bridge under 
which we were passing. The smoke stack was 
turned down on hinges in our midst for the 
occasion, and when we arose from our lowly 
positions, many of us had blackened faces. 

As the boat proceeded it passed so close to 
the backs of the houses that we obtained a good 
idea of the native life. The Dutch fraus would 
emerge from the houses with a basket of 
clothes which they wash in the waters of the 
canal. They scrub the walks and pavements; 
in fact, they scrub everything in sight, but the 
trees. Then they slip off their wooden shoes, 
re-enter the house, and go about their other 
duties. We handed sweetmeats to the children 

141 



Travel Sketches 



along the banks of the canal, who made long 
reaches for them but never fell into the water. 

The pleasant journey ended at Delft, which 
is the burial place of the Dutch royalty. From 
Delftshaven the Pilgrim Fathers started on 
their journey to America in 1620. 

Delft has picturesque canals, and two good 
churches. There is the old church in which 
is the tomb of the famous Admiral Van 
Tromp, and the one built in the fourteenth 
century, called the new church, in which is 
the tomb of William of Orange. Near by is 
the house in which William was assassinated. 

Delft is famous for its blue chinaware. It 
is now made in factories, and instead of the 
rich dark blues with which we are familiar, 
they use mostly a white foundation with a de- 
sign in blue tracing. The china is sold in only 
one or two shops, and seems to be quite as ex- 

142 



Belgium and Holland 



pensive here as it is in our own country. 

We again vary our mode of travel, and take 
a tram car from Delft to The Hague. Among 
the passengers are Dutch families who ad- 
dress their acquaintances in excellent French 
and German. 

In the thirteenth century Count William of 
Holland built a hunting lodge on the present 
site of The Hague. It was called 's Graven- 
hage, which is the Dutch name for the Count's 
Woods. The Hague is one of the most ele- 
gant capitals in Europe. The public build- 
ings are handsome, the thoroughfares scrupu- 
lously clean, the shops have a smart appear- 
ance, and the private houses are ornamental. 
It is the residence of the Queen, and there- 
fore of the court and aristocracy. The peo- 
ple are distinguished looking and well man- 
nered. The "Wood" is now on the outskirts 

143 



Travel Sketches 



of the city; but well kept trees line the streets 
and leafy branches meet over the tranquil 
placid canals. In the center of the town is 
a lake called the Vijver, which mirrors the 
fascinating shadows of the adjacent public 
buildings. 

In the Mauritshuis or art gallery is one of 
the choicest collections of art in Europe. 
There are fourteen Rembrandts, among which 
is the famous Rembrandt's Anatomy. The 
Night Watch, at Amsterdam, by Rembrandt, 
is often called the finest picture in Holland; 
but I think, in some respects, his Anatomical 
Lecture shows finer talent. In this picture the 
students are gathered around a table, intently 
following the anatomist's demonstrations ; and 
the different expressions of scientific interest 
upon their countenances overshadow every 
other detail in the picture. 

144 



Belgium and Holland 



Other buildings of interest are the Queen's 
Palace, Baron Steengracht's picture gallery, 
and the Mesdag Gallery. The first Interna- 
tional Peace Conference met at The Hague in 
1899. 

In Holland cities it is quite the custom for 
the people to frequent the streets in the even- 
ing. At The Hague great crowds assemble 
every evening on a street called the Lange 
Pooten. The people have beautified their resi- 
dences because they love the artistic. There 
is here all the refinement and comfort of civili- 
zation, in an atmosphere of sylvan beauty, 
which seems the essence of repose and peace. 

The House in the "Wood" is a royal resi- 
dence in the suburbs. Its interior presents an 
elegant aspect, but one of domesticity and 
comfort, which is unusual among the royal 
palaces of Europe. 

145 



Travel Sketches 



We took a tram from a shady square called 
the Plein and went out the old Scheveningen- 
sche Weg to Scheveningen, which is a com- 
bination of a fashionable summer resort and 
fishing village. In the fashionable locality 
there is a broad walk along the seashore, and 
several hotels. The fishermen's cottages are 
situated some distance back of the hotels. 
About four o'clock in the afternoon fashion- 
able crowds saunter along the promenade. 
The fishermen's wives come up from the village 
and mingle with the throngs, and although 
they take note of the latest styles from Paris, 
which change several times during the season, 
they themselves do not show the least change 
of heart towards their broad skirts and white- 
eared bonnets. 

One day as I was crossing the broad ele- 
vated esplanade, a woman carrying a basket 

146 



Belgium and Holland 



of fruit and flowers came toward me. I raised 
my camera and took a snap shot picture of 
her. She did not stop walking, but covering 
the distance between us she courtesied, and 
said, "Please buy my flowers." The average 
native does not always manifest such grace- 
ful diplomacy. 

Following a broad walk down to the beach, 
I came upon two women and a man picking 
up bathing suits. The women had on very 
wide, bright red skirts. All three looked so 
typical that I immediately made a bargain to 
take their picture. They agreed to take a 
copper apiece. I posed them and was looking 
through the finder of my camera to get the 
focus when I was amazed to see a white horse 
in the group. The man had marshalled up 
the horse and stood him in line. I protested 
to the man that the horse would add nothing 

147 



Travel Sketches 



to the beauty of the picture, but he simply 
replied, "Well, give us each two coppers more 
and we will take the horse out." 

The Scheveningen fishermen wear red shirts 
and large wooden shoes. I said to one of 
them, "Are not these shoes cold in winter ?" 
"Oh, no," he replied, "we put straw in them." 

Along the beach there was a row of green 
wagons, which looked like enclosed grocers' 
wagons. I found they were used as bathing 
houses. The wagons are drawn into the sea 
by horses, and the bather jumps out of the 
wagon for his daily bath. There were also 
hundreds of tall yellow baskets, in which the 
ladies sat in comfortable protection against 
the wind while the children waded in the water 
or picked up shells on the sand. 

Back in the village the women gossip while 
the wash dries. I walked up and down the 
\ 148 



Belgium and Holland 



street trying to get pictures of them; but di- 
rectly I raised my camera they would disap- 
pear into the house as if by magic. A group 
would scatter like frightened doves. I hired 
a cab and instructed the man to drive slowly. 
After passing a group, I would suddenly 
stand up and snap a picture ; but all I obtained 
was a photo of their fleeing backs. At last I 
encountered a clerical looking individual who 
regarded me severely, and said, "Why do you 
annoy these people? It is against their re- 
ligion to have their picture taken." I after- 
wards read in a book on Holland that they 
regard it as a transgression of the first com- 
mandment. 

There is no harbor at Scheveningen, but a 
town-crier keeps watch at night for the fishing 
boats coming in from the North Sea, and when 
he sights one he calls, "Come out, come out," 

149 



Travel Sketches 



and the people go down to the beach and help 
the horses pull the boat up on the sand. There 
are generally ten or fifteen boats lined up on 
the beach, and with their colored sails land 
flags, they are one of the most picturesque 
sights of the place. 

We now returned to The Hague, and pro- 
ceeded by automobile to Leiden. Every time 
our machine stopped we were immediately sur- 
rounded by a group of children. Holland is 
the home of the "Old woman who lived in a 
shoe who had so many children she didn't know 
what to do." 

In Holland the canals run through the 
fields, and the grain grows right up to the 
water's edge. It is not unusual to see a large 
boat in full sail apparently moving through a 
level field of grain. 

On our journey as we crossed a road I saw 

150 i 



Belgium and Holland 



a shepherd driving a flock of sheep. They 
were in position to make a pretty picture. I 
jumped out of the machine and ran toward 
them. The sheep, seeing a figure bearing 
madly down upon them, and having no reason 
to believe it was a friendly visitor, promptly 
broke ranks, jumped off the high road into a 
ditch of water, and threw themselves against 
a barbed wire fence. To my utter astonish- 
ment none of them were severely injured; but 
they broke through the fence and scattered far 
and wide in a large field. The disconsolate 
shepherd shook his head and waved his arms 
in wild despair. In order to assist him, we 
made an effort to reassemble the sheep; but 
this was no easy matter. Two young farmers 
came into the field and soon demonstrated that 
their method of managing sheep was far su- 
perior to ours. They gathered the flock to- 

151 



Travel Sketches 



gether, chased them out onto the high road, 
and headed them for home. We gave the 
shepherd some good coins to comfort him ; but 
he had lost a half hour's time, and went off 
with his flock shaking his head dubiously. 

One entering Leiden must soon feel the in- 
tellectual superiority of its people, and be im- 
pressed by its atmosphere of crisp precision. 
It has a very good university. The famous 
painter, Rembrandt, was born here. His par- 
ents sent him to the university to study law, 
but when he should have been getting his les- 
sons he was out in the woods, painting. 

History tells us that when the Spaniards 
entered Holland for conquest in the sixteenth 
century, Leiden was under siege for almost a 
year. During the last six months of the siege, 
in 1574, eight thousand people died of famine. 
William of Orange exhorted the inhabitants to 

152 



Belgium and Holland 



hold out and he would send them aid. His 
brother, Louis, died fighting with the troops 
on his way to Leiden. The waters were so 
low that the rescuing Dutch fleet could not 
approach the town. On August the third, 
William directed that the dykes be pierced in 
sixteen places, but this did not let in sufficient 
water to float the heavy Dutch ships. The 
people of the town begged Burgomaster van 
der Werf to surrender. He replied, "Here is 
my sword. Take it and plunge it into my 
breast and divide my flesh among you to ap- 
pease your hunger, but expect no surrender 
as long as I live." On October the second, 
a storm on the North Sea raised the level of 
the waters, and the Dutch sailors forced their 
ships up to the forts. The Spanish army fled 
and the town was saved. Once a year, on Oc- 
tober the third, the inhabitants gather around 

153 



Travel Sketches 



the statute of Burgomaster van der Werf, in 
Van der Werf Park, and celebrate deliverance 
day. As a reward for their bravery, William 
of Orange offered the people exemption from 
taxes or a university. They took the univer- 
sity. 

On the outskirts of the city there is a boys' 
military school. It was evidently wash day 
when we were there, for the boys' clothing 
was hanging up to dry in the most convenient 
place, which was the masts of their ship. 

We now went in the automobile to a little 
fishing village by the sea called Katwijk. 
Some people think all these villages look alike, 
but to me they are all different, and each has 
a charm of its own. In Katwijk the roofs are 
red, the blinds are green, while to be in fashion, 
the front door must be blue. There are no 
idlers in Katwijk; everyone is busy. The faces 

154 



Belgium and Holland 



of the people radiate supreme contentment, 
which is one of the great attractions of the 
Dutch nation. 

The church at Katwijk is whitewashed both 
inside and out. An Englishman, speculating 
upon possibilities if the English should move 
to Holland, said: "The little villages would 
not be so clean, and idle ladies with parasols 
and idle gentlemen in knickerbockers would 
appear upon the streets. If the Dutch moved 
to England, the race-tracks and athletic fields 
would be turned into pastures and Westmins- 
ter Abbey would be whitewashed." 

We now resume our automobile tour to 
Haarlem. Just out of Katwijk we came to 
an unusual ferry boat. It had a coupling ap- 
pliance at each end which instantly and me- 
chanically fastened the boat to the wharf. 

Everywhere along the route are the attrac- 

155 



Travel Sketches 



tive black and white Dutch Holstein cows. 
The life of a cow in Holland must be a joy for- 
ever. In summer she has rich pasturage and 
the pure water in the near-by canals. And 
some people say that in winter the cow has 
a red velvet blanket to keep her warm. Any- 
way, she is brought under the same roof with 
the family, and has a suite of rooms which is 
separated by only one door from the family 
sitting room. The walls of her so-called stable 
are whitewashed, and the floor is strewn with 
sawdust. The result of all this attention is 
that the Holland cow is a mild and contented 
looking animal. 

We now reach Haarlem, where the chief 
modern industry is bulb culture. In the seven- 
teenth century the city was noted for its archi- 
tects and painters. Lieven de Key built the 
famous Haarlem meat market, which is in an 

156 



Belgium and Holland 



excellent state of preservation and is a fine 
example of that artistic period. The town 
hall is another famous structure, and in one of 
its beautiful rooms there is a collection of 
Frans Hals' pictures. This artist was born in 
Antwerp, and was a prolific painter. His 
portraits, whether singly or in groups, are 
virile and forcible, and, in my opinion, com- 
pare favorably with those of Rembrandt in his 
best style. The Haarlem collection is large 
and essentially fine Dutch art. I found it the 
most interesting single collection in Holland. 
The Dutch and Flemish painters, Rem- 
brandt, Hals, Rubens, de Grayer and Van 
Dyck, idealize the best qualities of humanity. 
In their pictures the drawings are fine, strong, 
and perfect in proportions. The refined faces 
in their paintings show conscience, courage, 
strength and fortitude — the virtues that ele- 

157 



Travel Sketches 



vate humanity above the ordinary level. This 
seems to have been accomplished without ef- 
fort on the artists' part: it was their inspira- 
tion. They lived and worked in an artistic 
atmosphere so long that when they reached the 
point of interpreting their conceptions the 
pictures developed without apparent effort. 
Thus the most evident quality of their work is 
naturalism. The coloring as an attribute of 
art is lost sight of; if it were eccentric it would 
be remarked; if poor it would be instantly ob- 
served; but it is so true to life and so natural 
that the groups seem to be living beings. 

From Haarlem we now proceed to Alk- 
maar. We notice that the women in the dis- 
trict near Alkmaar wear very trying and un- 
becoming bonnets. 

Alkmaar exports five million kilos of cheese 
a year. Friday is market day, and at five in 

158 



Belgium and Holland 



the morning wagon-loads of cheese begin to 
arrive at the market. The cheese for export 
is colored red, that for home consumption is 
colored yellow. After the wagons arrive, the 
farmers throw the cheese from the load to the 
porters on the market-place, and hundreds of 
the red balls are flying through the air at the 
same time. You cross the market-place di- 
rectly under the shower. The balls are laid 
in rows, and the buying begins at ten o'clock. 
When the farmers and the buyers agree on a 
price they strike hands. Sometimes they 
strike hands several times, to close the deal. 
It looks as if a great many long lost brothers 
had suddenly met. 

The weigh house is a grey stone building. 
In the belfry there is a set of chimes, and the 
campanologist plays lively tunes, to encour- 
age the market. After the cheeses have been 

159 



Travel Sketches 



sold they are piled in pyramids on wooden 
boat-shaped receptacles. These are swung by 
means of straps over the shoulders of two por- 
ters. The porters commence a short fast trot 
in rhythm with the merry tunes dancing out of 
the belfry and carry the cheeses into the weigh 
house. After they have been weighed and 
registered, the porters take up the load again 
and carry it to the canal boat, a dozen steps 
away. Each cheese weighs about four pounds, 
and there are sixty of them in each pyramid. 
The porters wear white suits, and colored rib- 
bons on their hats. They administer their 
duties with dignity and love the work. Some 
of them have been in the service of this mar- 
ket for many years. 

When the canal boats are loaded they sail 
to some ocean port like Amsterdam, where 
their cargoes are transferred to the holds of 

160 



Belgium and Holland 



ocean vessels, to be carried to foreign lands. 
In this market a large business is transacted 
with system and finesse, in an artistic setting, 
accompanied by dazzling kaleidoscopic effects 
of motion and color. The market is full of 
life, and is one of the most interesting places 
in Holland. 

We now resume our motor tour to Zandam, 
the center of the windmill country. There are 
seven hundred windmills in Zandam, which 
operate dairies, lumber mills, grist mills and 
blacksmith shops. In the country the farmers 
often live in the large round base of the mill 
which makes a very comfortable home. 

The dykes of Holland were not constructed 
for automobile traffic. They are only wide 
enough on top for the milk carts drawn by the 
dogs. Just outside of Zandam there is a very 
high dyke about a mile long, which runs 

161 



Travel Sketches 



through a marsh. We had started along the 
dyke, and had made about half the distance 
in our sixty-horse power machine, when we 
met a load of lumber. The problem of pass- 
ing was not a simple one. Each vehicle hung 
over the side of the dyke so far that it came 
near rolling into the marsh from gravitation. 
It is said that it costs five million dollars a 
year to repair the dykes of Holland, and also 
in the process of repair they are completely re- 
constructed every five years. There is a legend 
to the effect that a key in Amsterdam con- 
trols all the dykes in Holland; and that if a 
conquering power should obtain possession of 
the country, the dykes, by means of this key, 
could be opened and the entire country sub- 
merged. 

In 1697 Peter the Great of Russia came to 
Zandam to learn ship building. The little hut 

162 



Belgium and Holland 



in which he lived while here is now enclosed 
with brick walls, in order to preserve it. 

From Zandam we proceeded by automobile 
to Amsterdam, a great commercial center. It 
is very interesting to walk along the canals 
and see the boats loaded with cargoes worth 
many thousands of dollars and destined for all 
parts of the world. If there is a leisure class 
in Amsterdam I did not discover any evidence 
of it. 

In the Rijks Museum is a very fine collec- 
tion of art which includes Rembrandt's cele- 
brated painting, the Night Watch. 

One of the largest diamond markets in the 
world is at Amsterdam. When you enter a 
diamond store you are very closely scrutinized, 
and the door is locked behind you. The show- 
cases are filled with unset stones. The clerks 
show them to you by the handful; each hand- 

163 



Travel Sketches 



ful is worth thousands of dollars. After see- 
ing this market, a diamond never looks quite 
the same anywhere else. Here they look like 
fresh dew drops. 

One morning, after having visited a vege- 
table market, I wished to take a picture of 
the street diverging to the right. As I turned 
the corner, while looking in my camera to 
watch the picture appear in the finder, I sud- 
denly saw a volume of falling water that 
looked almost as large as Niagara Falls. A 
stolid Dutchman facing me was washing the 
street and the water from the hose was de- 
scending near my feet. I looked at him in- 
quiringly. He looked at my camera unflinch- 
ingly, and the unwavering "Niagara" con- 
tinued to approach. I could see from the un- 
relenting expression on his face that the Dutch- 
man had no intention of turning the hose 

164 



Belgium and Holland 



away; consequently there was nothing for me 
to do but to beat a hasty retreat. 

The general market in Amsterdam is held 
under tents. I saw there a large display of 
china, from which one could select anything 
necessary to set a dinner table. In another 
tent was a large variety of shoe strings. It is 
very interesting to mingle with the people in 
the market-places, for you then come in direct 
contact with them, and can learn much con- 
cerning their daily lives in their buying and 
selling. When stopping in a foreign town I 
generally go to the market every day. 

One evening we went out for a stroll under 
the trees along the canal. We saw a man in a 
row boat, and thought we would like to take a 
ride. We beckoned to him. As the boat came 
up we saw on one end of it an extension bridge 
which slanted obliquely upward until it reached 

165 



Travel Sketches 



the top of the bank on which we were stand- 
ing. Taking hold of the side railing, we 
walked down the bridge into the boat and 
seated ourselves comfortably. The boatman 
rowed up stream, and shortly a lighted pavil- 
ion upon an island came into view. We mo- 
tioned to the boatman to row over to it, and 
the ascending bridge again reached easily to 
the high bank. After having a lemonade, we 
walked down our bridge into the boat again. 
This arrangement is the most convenient thing 
imaginable. I do not think the American peo- 
ple appreciate how convenient it is, to always 
carry your own bridge with you. 

The next morning, I called a cab, and not 
speaking Dutch, I instructed the hotel porter 
to tell the cab man to drive around the city 
and show me the sights. After a while the 
cab stopped in front of two houses with a pas- 

166 



Belaium and Holland 



sage-way between them. The cab man mo- 
tioned me to enter the passage-way. The 
houses were evidently private ones and had 
very forbidding exteriors, so I declined. There- 
upon the cab man jumped off his box and 
gesticulated so wildly and shouted so loudly 
that rather than be arrested for disturbing the 
peace I entered the passage-way. At the end 
of it was an enclosure completely surrounded 
by houses. In the center of the enclosure upon 
a grass plat was a charming church which I 
should not have cared to miss. 

We now took a boat for the Isle of Marken, 
which is noted for its picturesqueness and the 
quaint costumes of the people. There are al- 
ways several photographers here, snapping the 
same group of children, who pose with uncon- 
scious and almost professional ease. 

From Amsterdam we went to Bremen, and 

167 



Travel Sketches 



there took a liner for America. The third day- 
out was to be Doctor's birthday; so before sail- 
ing I secretly visited a confectioner's shop and 
ordered a birthday cake, which was delivered 
to the steward of the boat. On the birthday 
the waiter approached the dinner table bearing 
a white cake three stories high, decorated with 
pink candles and white confectionery roses. 
The cake spread good cheer, and the other 
occupants of the dining room seemed to take 
more than a passing interest in the celebra- 
tion. 

With pleasant incidents the time on ship 
board passes quickly; but to the American 
who has spent several months in Europe, the 
New York Harbor is the finest sight in the 
world. 



168 



